


On Thin Ice

by Rebel_On_The_Rise



Series: In Cold Blood [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Not Frozen 2 Compliant, Original Character-centric, Post-Descendants 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21889018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebel_On_The_Rise/pseuds/Rebel_On_The_Rise
Summary: Betrayals shake Auradon to its core.Erika’s destruction of the school struck the first blow.Elsa strikes the second when she declares Arendelle’s secession from the United Kingdoms.And war lurks just around the corner.In the midst of the tension, Erika struggles with her new identity, forged from the aftermath of her magic. When she learns of a plot against her and her mother, she must learn to deal with the growing threat of war and betrayal, as well as with her own darker side. And, when Erika and her family embark on a mission to save their kingdom, she finally realizes the truth.Monsters are everywhere.Villains and heroes can be one and the same.And magic always, always comes with a price.
Series: In Cold Blood [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1370848
Comments: 251
Kudos: 59





	1. Against Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, my gosh, it’s finally happening! Merry Christmas, everyone! And welcome to the sequel to In Cold Blood- On Thin Ice.  
> I have been so excited to share this with you all! I’ve got even more surprises planned out for this book. But first, a little bit of an unpleasant note.  
> I watched Frozen 2 the day it came out, and it was amazing. I think it may even have beat the first one (undecided.) It was a beautiful, stunningly animated movie- that completely ripped In Cold Blood apart.  
> Some of the events (I won’t spoil, just in case) completely made my first story impossible. So, I am very sorry to announce that In Cold Blood and its sequels will not be entirely Frozen 2 compliant. That said, I will be making it as compliant as possible. I’ll be adding in as many of the movie’s elements as possible. And who knows? Maybe I’ll come up with an explanation for why *spoilers removed*.  
> I am beyond happy to finally give you all the sequel to this! Erika is going on some huge journeys in this one, both physical and emotional, and I’ve got a few OCs that I can’t wait for you all to meet. Going by canon characters, this story is primarily set in Arendelle, which means that Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf will feature much more heavily than they did in In Cold Blood. And there are a couple more characters who we’ll see along the way...  
> I’ll let you guys get into the chapter now. It is the prologue, so it’s kind of short, about half the length of my normal chapters. And if it seems a little confusing, don’t worry! All will be found.  
> (See what I did there?)

* * *

A furious roar rang through the palace, shaking knickknacks and decorations from their places and sending Ben crashing through the door to his father’s office. Beast whirled, fury filling every line of his face- still human, thankfully. Ben knew his father well enough to know that Beast’s anger wasn’t directed at him. He scanned the room, searching for the source. His gaze landed on the letter in Beast’s hand.

“What is that?” he asked.

“Rebellion, that’s what it is!” Beast bellowed. He held the letter out, and Ben took it, examining the snow-white paper and the broken wax seal. For a moment, he thought it was from Corona, given the flower on the seal. Then he realized what it was.

He opened the letter and read quickly.

_To the once High King of the United Kingdoms of Auradon:_

_Let it be known that, upon the return of Princess Erika of Arendelle from the Royal Preparatory Academy in Auradon, and upon hearing her story, I extend my deepest apologies for the actions of my daughter. I take full responsibility for the event, as I did not train her to control her magic to the extent that I should have._

Ben frowned, raising his eyes from the letter. “Doesn’t seem too bad.”

Beast grunted. “Keep reading.”

_While I do assume responsibility for the actions of Princess Erika and the destruction it caused, I do not and will not accept the causes that led to them, namely the restricting of her magic, to the extent that it caused her to fall unconscious during class, which admittedly was fixed by allowing Princess Erika to use her magic, but only so much as necessary to keep her cool; the attempt made by Fairy Godmother to force Princess Erika to wear gloves during her time at the academy; and the pressuring of Princess Erika into giving up her magic and forcibly removing her covering of ice, in such a way as to physically harm herself. The actions taken against my daughter and her magic are unacceptable, both to my kingdom and to my family._

_That is why, effective immediately, the kingdom of Arendelle secedes from the United Kingdoms of Auradon, and returns to its previous state of independence._

Ben almost dropped the letter, but forced himself to keep going, his heart sinking at every word.

_No action will be taken against dignitaries and others from the United Kingdoms of Auradon who may be living within our borders, and they shall be allowed to come and go as they please. However, I will accept no ambassadors from Auradon or any other kingdom upon this matter. All laws and statutes set in place by the king of the United States of Auradon shall be rescinded. My decision is final. Arendelle is restored to independence._

_Her Majesty, the High Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

“Secession?” Ben gasped, handing the letter back to his father. His head was reeling. They’d thought so carefully about the many things that could go wrong with uniting the kingdoms- but secession had never even been considered. “Arendelle is seceding? Don’t they know the consequences of that?”

“No, I don’t imagine they do,” Beast snarled. “But I have an idea.”

—————————————————

“I don’t like this,” Ben said, looking nervously around at the grimy walls. His steps echoed through the corridor, moving quickly to keep up with his father. Beast strode down the hall with the sharp, precise movements of a man who knew where he was going and why. Several guards marched behind them.

“No one likes this,” Beast answered, the barest hint of a growl in his voice. “And it should never have happened.”

“Who could have seen it coming?” Ben protested. “Arendelle has never expressed a desire to leave the United Kingdoms until…until…” He didn’t want to say the name that flew to his tongue.

“It’s all because of Elsa,” Beast snapped. “We gave her too much freedom. We should have cracked down on her the first day we heard she was using magic. We let her ignore the laws, and now look what’s come of it. Your school’s barely been rebuilt, and then this happens.” He shook his head. “It’s too dangerous for Arendelle to secede. Secession could be the first step to war- and Auradon, as much as I hate to admit it, is not ready for war. Especially not against two magic-wielders.” He paused. “We’re here.”

Ben frowned at the heavy iron door they stood in front of. “What are you doing, Dad? Remember, I’m the king. It’s ultimately my decision what to do about this.”

“I know, son,” Beast replied, nodding to a guard, who came forward with a key and inserted it into the lock. “But I want you to consider my proposal, at the least.”

The door opened silently, revealing a dim, nearly empty room, lighted by two torches. Ben stepped forward to look into it. He whirled around. “No. Not this. It’s too dangerous- Dad, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about the safety of our kingdom,” Beast said. “This is the right thing to do, Ben. Trust me.”

Ben took a deep breath and followed his father into the room. The door shut behind them.

Forty or so minutes later, Ben had grown tired of listening to his father explain the predicament he was in. His thoughts kept straying to Elsa and Erika. _They’re my people, too,_ he thought. _I can’t do this to them._ His brain argued with him. _Elsa seceded, remember? They’re not your people anymore._

Ben sighed, turning his attention back to the conversation between his father and the other person in the room- a tall, muscular man who sat in a rickety wooden chair as if it was a throne. According to Beast, he was the only one who could save their kingdom.

The only one who could get Elsa and Erika to the Isle of the Lost.

“So, that just leaves one question,” Beast finished. He locked gazes with the stranger. “Will you help us?”

The man smiled, something strange and dangerous in his eyes. “I will do what I can.”


	2. Against Rumors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika relaxes into life in Arendelle and has a talk with her mother about her ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten an OVERWHELMING positive response to the prologue of this book! Thank you so much to everyone who commented, left kudos, and read the first chapter of On Thin Ice! It means so much to me that my stories (hey, I can say stories now!) are being well received.   
> I have gotten three guesses as to the identity of the mysterious figure at the end of the prologue chapter. So far, the theories are that he is Hans, that he is Pitch Black (from Rise of the Guardians), and that he’s a bounty hunter. I’m not going to immediately say which one, if any, are correct, but I will tell you guys that his identity will be revealed in chapter 13. I know, I know, it’s such a long way away! But it’s going to be worth the wait, I promise.  
> Anyway, this chapter is a little bit late, but I’ll still be posting number 3 (titled Against Trust, for the curious among you) on January 5th. Ugh, January. The longest month of the year. Oh, well.   
> As promised, this chapter features all of Erika’s family (minus Sven, who didn’t make it in yet. *apologetic reindeer noises* Next chapter, bud.) Please let me know what you think about Olaf- he’s a little difficult to write, so tell me if he feels OOC- out of character- and I’ll fix it.

For the first time in two months, Erika woke up without thinking that she was in Auradon. She looked around her room, a smile forming on her lips as she recognized Arendelle. She swung her legs over the bed, her bare feet hitting the wooden floor. She went over to the window and threw it open, leaning against the sill as she gazed around at the valley and its crown of mountains. Early winter had dusted the peaks with snow, pure and white and beautiful.

Erika's smile slipped as she brought her hand up, letting a small stream of cold flecks loose into the wind that blew down the street. Against the white on the mountains, her own snow looked like ash- black and charred, dark and out of place. She sighed, closing her hand.

Something bumped against her shoulder. She turned to find Sindri hovering next to her, his wings flapping. Erika rubbed his head, and he leaned into her touch with a soft, happy noise.

"I was worried you might turn black, too," she murmured to him, stroking his fur. Sindri had stayed as white as the day she had created him- mostly. She'd noticed that, when she felt strong emotions, his delicate little wings flickered with the color her ice refused to turn. 

Sindri flew above her head, darting like a bird and tugging at strands of her hair, as she changed out of her nightgown and into a pale blue dress. She'd begun to dress, once again, in the traditional Arendelle fashion- warm furs, embroidered dresses trimmed with rosemaling, and high-toed boots, although she still clung to her blue hoodie. 

She sat down at her dressing table, running a brush through her pale blonde hair. She had to gently bat Sindri away a few times- the little bear was curious about everything she did, no matter how many times he saw it. She braided two thick strands and pulled them around the back of her head, twisting them together and pinning the ends underneath. She let the rest of her hair hang down from underneath the braids, using her ice to curl the ends slightly. 

Erika sighed. _I can't do that anymore._ The black ice stood out starkly against her nearly white hair, and she flicked her fingers to remove it.

Sindri perched on her braids, nearly toppling off, and bit one of them, pulling it slightly loose. Erika laughed, tugging his paws from her hair and settling him on her shoulder. She rearranged the loose bits and then lifted Sindri up, cradling him in her palms. The little creature rolled over on his back, and she stroked his stomach with a finger, enjoying it as he squirmed in delight. 

Someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she called. 

The door swung open. Erika smiled, setting Sindri down on the desk. " _Onkel_ Kristoff!" She wrapped her arms around him. 

" _God morgen,_ " her uncle replied, returning her embrace. He didn't look quite like his usual cheery self. 

Erika cocked her head. "Is something wrong?"

Kristoff sighed, attempting to widen his smile. "Elsa sent me," he admitted. "She wants to talk to you in her room."

Erika frowned. "Is something wrong?"

Kristoff shook his head. "No. Well, actually, yes." He ran his hands through his golden blond hair. "She sent a message to Auradon. She's...announced Arendelle's secession from the United Kingdoms."

Erika's mouth dropped open. "She announced our..secession?" She stood up, slipping her feet into her shoes before changing her mind and sliding them back out. "Has she told the people yet?"

Kristoff shook his head. "The queen will announce it tonight." 

Erika sighed. "Thank you for telling me, _Onkel_. I'll go see Mama now." 

Kristoff nodded, wrapping his arm around Erika's shoulders in a half hug. "I'll go with you." 

Erika stepped out of her room, letting Sindri cling to her back. "Think Mama will mind if he tags along?" 

* * *

Erika knocked softly on her mother's door. "Come in," Elsa's familiar voice said. 

Kristoff squeezed her shoulder gently before setting off down the hallway. 

Erika pushed open the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind her. 

Elsa sat at her desk, her blonde braid slightly messy. She smiled when she saw Erika. "I assume your uncle told you what happened?"

Erika ran her hands through her hair, nearly dislodging her braids. Sindri, aware of her rising emotions, burrowed into her sleeve and curled into the crook of her arm. "Mama...you seceded from the United Kingdoms?"

"Arendelle seceded," Elsa corrected. "Not just me. I didn't make this decision alone." She sighed. "I'm sorry, snowflake. I would have included you in the choice-"

"Mama, Mama," Erika interrupted. "I'm not angry. I'm not upset." A smile broke on her face. "I couldn't be happier."

Elsa stood up from her desk, embracing her daughter. "It was long past time we removed ourselves from Auradon. After all, our joining was not entirely voluntary. I think our leaving should be." 

"What happens if the people-" Erika began. Elsa laughed. 

" _Datter_ , you have missed so much attending that boarding school. The people were never happy under Auradon's rule. Our kingdom values its freedom, its isolation. When we lost that, they grew restless. And when I revealed that Auradon had threatened my life and yours in order to coerce us into joining them, and had forced me to give you up as a hostage- there are those who call for war."

"War?" Erika pressed a hand to her mouth. "We aren't ready for war, Mama. We're small compared to Auradon, and if they turn the other kingdoms against us-"

"It will not come to war," Elsa assured her. "We are powerful, and they know that. Your destruction of that school made sure of that. They know that you are still untrained in your powers, and yet you still managed to freeze their academy. Going up against you and me, as well as the rest of our kingdom?" She shook her head, her braid bobbing. "They would be foolish to try."

Erika sighed. "My powers...do you think my ice will be black forever?"

Elsa looked deep into her daughter's eyes. "I don't honestly know, Erika," she said. "I've never seen that happen before. Even when my ice turns color, it always changes back to white eventually." 

"I told you that it happened when I let all my feelings go- even the feeling of wickedness that I had for Auradon," Erika told her. "Do you think...do you think black ice means evil?" 

Elsa laid her hand atop Erika's. "Does it matter if it does or not?" she asked. "You are happy with your choice?"

Erika nodded fervently. "Part of me wishes I had done more. I'm worried that they'll think it was just a fit of temper, write me off as no more than an emotional girl. I want them to realize that I was serious. I wanted to make them feel powerless...the way they made me feel." She clenched her fist. "There's a part of me that feels proud that I gave them the monster they wanted. But there's another part of me that feels like I gave in to them, gave them the reason to hate us that they were looking for."

"But are you satisfied with your decision?"

"Yes," Erika said. "I am."

"Then that's all that matters," Elsa told her. "Who cares if your ice is black or white?" 

Erika smiled, rubbing Sindri's head as he poked it out of her sleeve. The small bear wiggled out of her dress and flew to Elsa, nosing the end of her braid. 

"When this little fellow arrived at my windowsill, I couldn't believe it," Elsa said. "I hadn't even started teaching you to make ice beings, and yet you made one all on your own."

"His wings change color with my emotions," Erika pointed out. "It's like he's the outlet for my emotions since my ice is black."

"Since our emotions manifest so physically, it would make sense that your body needs some other way to express them," Elsa mused. "And you poured all your effort into making Sindri. Maybe you poured your emotion into him, too." 

"That would explain why I didn't feel tired while I was freezing Auradon Prep," Erika replied. "No emotion left to wear me down."

Elsa sighed, resting her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Whatever the reason, your ice is black," she said. "And you can still feel emotions, right?" 

Erika nodded. "Yes. Although I haven't really been angry since I got here. A little sad about everything that I left behind, and happy to see all of you, of course. But there hasn't been much anger."

Elsa twisted her hands in her lap. "Time enough for that if our secession sparks a war." 

* * *

Erika played with Sindri until it was time for supper, then headed downstairs, the little bear on her shoulder. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the friendly family dinners they had almost every night. It was a chance for all of them- herself, her mother, Tante Anna, Onkel Kristoff, her little cousins, and Olaf- to drop the pressures of being royalty and simply enjoy each other's company. It was a chance she hadn't had in Auradon, when her every waking moment was spent making sure her reputation wasn't tarnished. 

_Making sure I was perfect._

She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror- her hair messy from Sindri's fascination with pulling it, her dress wrinkled, her feet bare. She was the furthest thing from a perfect princess she could get. 

Erika went into the dining room, finding a seat at the polished pine table. Anna was there, trying rather hopelessly to corral her sons. "You two are technically lords," she hissed. "Would you please mind your manners?" 

"Rika!" Klaus shouted, spotting her. He jumped down from his chair, pulling Arvik along with him before Anna could stop the rambunctious pair, and raced over, throwing his arms around her. She ruffled his blond hair. 

Klaus barreled into her next, clinging to her leg. She laughed. "You boys saw me yesterday," she said. "Why are you so clingy now?"

"Cause that was yesterday," Arvik declared. "This is today." 

Erika grinned at her two small cousins, pulling them both in for another hug. "Surprise!" Klaus shouted, bouncing up and down. 

"A surprise?" Erika cocked her head. "What is it?"

"Papa took us looking for berries!" Arvik announced. "We picked bunches an' bunches!" 

"What kind of berries?" Erika asked. "Blackberries? Blueberries?"

"No," Klaus said, taking her hand and leading her over to the table. "We picked-"

"Cloudberries!" Erika cried, spotting the pinkish-red fruits sitting in a basket on the table. "I thought I'd missed the season for them!"

Kristoff, stopping beside Anna to plant a kiss on her lips, rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty look on his face. "I, uh...I took them to our secret glade. The one I always took you to. It's the only place we could get them. We wanted to surprise you."

Erika smiled at him. "I don't mind, _Onkel_. Klaus is old enough now to last the hike- it was time you took them berry picking. Besides, you couldn't have surprised me with them if I helped you pick them." 

Kristoff laughed. "That's true." 

Elsa swept into the dining room, graceful as usual, in a dark pink dress trimmed with pale blue and gold rosemaling. She'd taken her hair out of its braid, letting it fall down her shoulders. She sat down at the head of the table, Erika to her right and Anna to her left, Arvik and Klaus between her and Kristoff. Technically, Kristoff was supposed to sit next to Anna, but the boys always got rowdy as dessert approached, and they'd thought it best to have a parent on either side to help keep them somewhat controlled. 

Elsa looked around the table, a fond smile on her lips. The smile diminished as she frowned. "We're missing someone," she pointed out. "Where's Olaf?"

As if on cue, the snowman came crashing through the doors. "Don't start without me!" he gasped. "I'm here!"

"We can see that," Anna commented, smiling. "Where have you been all day?" 

Olaf, with a bit of a struggle, climbed into his chair on Erika's left. "I went for a walk around the village," he announced. "And then I went to visit Halina and Lieutenant Matias. Ooh, cloudberries!" He reached for one of the plump fruits, holding it aloft in one hand. "I love cloudberries! Where'd these come from?"

"Kristoff took the boys berry picking," Anna said. "There's more in the kitchen for dessert- with fresh cream."

"Well, until dessert, I'm going to eat them without cream," Olaf announced. He held up his berry and opened his mouth to drop it in. 

Sindri took off from Erika's shoulder, snatching the fruit out of Olaf's fingers and biting a piece out of it. He bumped his head against Erika's hand as he perched next to her plate, nibbling the berry. Olaf looked shocked. "You're as bad as a hawk," he declared, reaching for another berry. 

"He's never had a cloudberry before," Erika said, stroking Sindri's back. "Besides, he's little. He'll probably just eat one, maybe two." 

"I'd prefer if his one, maybe two weren't mine," Olaf answered, sending a ripple of laughter around the table. Erika smiled as she watched everyone enjoying themselves. She hadn't realized how much she had really missed her kingdom and her family.

_It feels so good to be home._

_Onkel-_ uncle

_God morgen_ \- good morning 

_Datter_ \- daughter

_Tante_ \- aunt


	3. Against Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika has doubts about being accepted back into her kingdom, and Elsa helps calm her fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, it’s been so long! Sorry, guys, between school and some family issues, writing time got seriously cut down on. I’m hopefully returning to a normal schedule now, though- once a week updates! I may be a few days late depending on how much school hates me that week- just bear with me!

Erika closed her eyes, letting streams of ice flow from her hands. _Magisk_ curled around her arms and legs, and she pushed it into her fingers, sending snow swirling into the sky.

Something tugged at her hair, and her concentration broke. She sighed, gently plucking Sindri out of the air and settling him into the pocket of her hoodie. “Sorry, Sindri, but I have to focus right now,” she said. “We can play later, but right now, stay there.”

Sindri seemed happy to comply, burrowing into the fabric and curling into a ball, his wings folded around him until only his nose peeked out.

Erika inhaled deeply and stomped her foot, sending a sheet of ice over the stone of the courtyard. Still black. 

She didn’t understand why her ice wouldn’t change back to its normal white. Was it because she had accepted Auradon’s view of her as a villain? That phantom emotion she’d resisted since the moment a pair of satin gloves had dropped to the ground in front of the school- she had identified it, as she froze the academy and stepped into her own identity, as what Auradon spoke of as evil. At the time, she hadn’t minded the name. What did the princess of Arendelle care about what word Auradon used to describe her?

But she wasn’t in Auradon anymore. She was home, in Arendelle, and according to her ice, she was still evil. _Is that how my people see me? They have to know by now what I did. They accepted our secession…but who’s to say they accepted me?_

She sighed, pulling Sindri out of her pocket and plopping down onto a nearby bench. The tiny bear seemed offended at being woken up, but his wings were pulsing yellow and purple, and he seemed to recognize the sadness and uncertainty that Erika was feeling. He nosed her hand, making a soft chuffing noise. She stroked his head, and he perched on her lap, wiggling his wings impatiently every time she stopped petting him.

“I don’t think I could take it if both Auradon and my own kingdom thought I was evil,” she said aloud.

_Why should it matter who thinks that?_ She felt the familiar sensation of magisk around her shoulders. _It does not matter who thinks you’re evil. If evil is what you want to be, then be it. Do not let anyone tell you not to be what you want._

“I only want to be evil to Auradon,” Erika answered. “I don’t want my own people to think of me as…as a monster. Auradon took me hostage, forced Mama to join them, and then spread lies about us until it poisoned our reputations forever. They…they wanted us to be monsters, so they could show everyone else how good they were.” Her hands curled into fists. “They wanted a monster, so I gave them a monster. And they didn’t have any knights in shining armor to save them from me.”

She rubbed Sindri’s ears, and the little bear arched his back in delight. “But magic- all magic- comes with a price. I…I lost a lot of things in order to stand up to Auradon. I…I had friends there, good friends! Not ones like Audrey- why didn’t I see through her earlier, with her veiled insults and her underhanded comments. I had friends who helped me through the bad times, who stood up for me so I wouldn’t have to stand alone.” She stared down at Sindri, the small bear she’d made as a messenger. 

_I like bears._ Mollie’s voice floated into her head, something she’d said the very first time Erika had met her. Erika rested her chin in her hands. “Even if I could go back to Auradon, they’d never forgive me. I destroyed that school- not entirely, but enough to prove my point. They made magic against the rules, so they didn’t have anyone who could stop me once I decided not to obey the rules. But…but Mollie and Tam never judged me for my magic…for who I was. They thought it was amazing, what I could do. They liked it.” She straightened. “I guess it doesn’t matter what they thought, now. We’ve… _I’ve_ cut all ties to Auradon. And that includes them.”

“But it doesn’t have to,” Elsa said from next to her.

Erika jumped. “Mama! How long have you been sitting there?”

“Long enough,” Elsa answered. She rested a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I’m glad I overheard you, snowflake. I was so worried that you would be forced to close yourself off because of my reputation. I hoped so much that you would make a few friends there, and you did.”

“I doubt I’m their friend anymore,” Erika muttered.

A soft, understanding smile rested on Elsa’s lips. “When you’re older, things will make more sense. You can’t see it now, but I’m the queen. I know more about Auradon than even you know. We are not the only kingdom dissatisfied with their rule- we’re just the only one to do something about it.”

Erika tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. “It’s…it’s Dunbroch, isn’t it? Mollie had a rebellious way about her, and she must have gotten that from her mother. Dunbroch is one of those kingdoms, isn’t it, Mama?”

“Perhaps you _won’t_ have to wait until you’re older,” Elsa said with a smile. “Yes, Dunbroch is one of the restless kingdoms. They rely very strongly on tradition and their own ancient ways, just as we do. They don’t appreciate being told what to do by another kingdom. But they have another reason. There is magic in their mountains, their forests, their streams. Dunbroch has more wild, natural magic than any of the other kingdoms. Magical creatures are scattered all over their land- will-o’-the-wisps, for one. Auradon may know how to deal with practiced magic, spells and curses and such, and elemental magic, like ours. But Dunbroch’s magic is magic in its purest, rawest form. Think of it as gold. Auradon has the most experience with magic once it’s been shaped to fit a mold, like gold made into a ring or necklace. Magic is made into spells and curses, things that can be learned- and that is what Auradon knows. But they also know about our type of magic, elemental magic. It’s like liquid gold. It has not been shaped yet, but it has been contained. It is magic that can be used, but not learned.”

“Is Dunbroch’s magic like gold ore fresh from a mine?” Erika asked, starting to picture the analogy. But Elsa shook her head. 

“Dunbroch’s magic is gold that hasn’t even been discovered yet,” she said. “It is completely untouched by humanity, but the land is full of it. And, like some people know that mountains have gold in them but do not mine it, Dunbroch’s people know of the magic, but do not use it. How could they? At heart, magic is a wild thing, driven by impulse and instinct. Magic in its rawest form cannot be tamed at all.” 

“Do we have raw magic?” Erika asked. 

“You and I don’t,” Elsa replied. “But the trolls do. Despite what some may say, they don’t use magic. They are magic. They are born from the very land of Arendelle, and they carry its magic with them.”

Erika thought about the trolls. It made sense. They were rock and moss- made from the Arendelle land. “If they’re magic, why hasn’t Auradon come after them?”

A smile hung on Elsa’s lips. “Erika, the magical creatures of Arendelle- of all the kingdoms- are, for the most part, pure magic. The trolls, the will-o-the-wisps, all of them...they’re untouchable. If Beast and Ben somehow could get them on the Isle of the Lost, it would be too much magic for the barrier to contain, and it would shatter under the pressure. It was designed to imprison magic wielders, not magic itself. The Isle cannot take away magic. It only blocks it.” A frown replaced her smile. “It makes it no less of a threat.”

A chill of fear shot up Erika’s spine. “Mama, if Auradon attacks, will they send us to the Isle?” 

Elsa shook her head. “They would be fools to attack, snowflake. You and me together? They have nothing that can combat us. They were foolish to ban magic- they took away their greatest weapon against it.” She played with the end of her braid. “Magic is power, Erika. Beast took it away because he thought that doing that would give him power. But he removed the very source of his strength.” Her lip curled. “Hypocrite. He doesn’t even realize that without magic, he would have no kingdom. It was magic that made his barrier, and even the island it isolates. It was magic that turned him from a beast to- well, at least the _looks_ of a man.” 

Erika laughed. 

“It was magic,” Elsa continued, “that saved his life after Gaston stabbed him. It was magic that sent all the villains to the Isle in the first place. It was magic that stopped Maleficent from stealing the magic wand, even! Every kingdom in his precious alliance has used magic, and he has the _nerve_ to try to outlaw it!” 

Erika remembered her brief interactions with Beast. Of course, that brought to mind Ben. “It’s not so bad now that Ben’s the king,” she said. 

Elsa nodded in agreement. “We’re lucky he’s more like his mother than his father. Although it’s still not enough. He’s too afraid of disappointing Beast to stand up to him very much. If Beast advised him to go to war against us, he might just do it. I’m only guessing, of course, but...” she trailed off. “Ben may hold the title of King, but Beast holds the power of it.”

“At least neither of them rule over us anymore,” Erika said passionately. “We’re a free kingdom.”

Elsa stared at her a moment, and then laughed. “You know, snowflake, I never even looked at it like that. We were prisoners as much as the villains on the Isle are. Only ours was a cage of rules and lies.” She suddenly reached out and took Erika’s hand, neither affected by the chill of the other’s skin. “He took you _hostage_ , Erika. It was in a boarding school instead of a dungeon cell, but you were held hostage. And I swore to that- I agreed to it when you weren’t even born!”

Erika gasped when she realized that her usually calm mother was trembling with anger. She tightened her grip on Elsa’s hand. “It’s alright, Mama,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t your fault. You did it to protect our kingdom. And it wasn’t all bad, either- I made friends, I learned about the different kingdoms, I got some practice speaking the Auradon language- and in the end, I got to show them just how little we think of their cages.” 

Elsa’s smile returned, and she wrapped her daughter in an embrace. “Let’s not think of their cages at all anymore,” she said. “The past is in the past.” She flicked her braid over her shoulder, looking searchingly into Erika’s eyes. “The other things you said- Erika, why would Arendelle think you were evil?” 

“Because of what I did,” Erika answered. “I was the one who broke our bridge to Auradon. I let a flood loose- and it might bring war with it.”

Elsa shook her head, cupping Erika’s face. “Daughter, daughter, no. If our secession comes to a war, you will not be to blame. The unrest has been growing since Beast sent his messenger here to try to send me to the Isle of the Lost. Our people were unhappy being ruled by another kingdom’s king.” She tucked a lock of Erika’s near-white hair behind her ear. “A bridge may help people cross a river, but it may also help their enemies across. And a dam may stop the water, but if the water should not have been stopped, then the dam should be broken. Dams, bridges...both are good and bad, but neither is purely one or the other.” She touched Erika’s chest, just above her heart. “Just like you.”


	4. Against Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a strange request from her mother, Erika is met with an unexpected surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Two days late, but who’s counting? Actually, the only reason I didn't post last night was because my phone locks at ten thirty, and I finished editing at ten thirty-eight. Ugh. But anyway...  
> This chapter goes really heavy on the Norwegian stuff, and I’m not sure how accurate my sources were. I had to directly make something up in one spot, which...eesh. If you happen to know about any of it and see that I got something wrong, please let me know!!  
> Also, the outfit I described...there are several different versions, from various places in Norway. But the one I described comes a region that is on the coast, as Arendelle seems to be, and the outfit looks very similar to what Anna wore in Frozen 2, so I used it. Again, accuracy is questionable.

Someone knocked at Erika’s door. “Come in,” she called, setting down her hairbrush.

Elsa opened the door, looking in with a smile.

“Mama!” Erika jumped up and wrapped her mother in an embrace. “I’m almost ready for supper.” She gestured to her light blue dress.

Elsa cocked her head. “It’s very pretty, snowflake,” she said, “but I’d rather you wore this.” She crossed over to Erika’s wardrobe and pulled out an outfit.

Erika frowned. “My _bunad?_ I only wear that on special occasions.”

“I know, _datter,_ ” Elsa answered, a smile playing around her lips. “Just trust me.”

Erika shrugged. “All right.”

“Can you be ready in twenty minutes?” Elsa asked.

“I think so.”

Elsa smiled at her and left.

Erika’s mind was whirling with questions. She only wore her _bunad,_ Arendelle’s traditional costume, on very special occasions. Why would she wear it now?

She looked over every piece of the outfit. Erika’s _bunad_ consisted of a white blouse, a long black skirt and bodice, and a square black shawl, all decorated with white embroidery. She had a pair of black shoes with shiny silver buckles, as well as several pieces of silver jewelry to add to her ensemble. Most Arendellian women and girls wore headdresses, but as a princess, Erika wore her crown instead.

Erika put on the blouse and skirt quickly, enjoying the feel of the wool clothes that she had missed while living in Auradon. They were hot, but she added a layer of ice underneath just in case, causing _magisk_ to roll in pleasure over her shoulders. The black looked strange against her almost white skin, but it wouldn’t be seen under the long, heavy clothes anyway. She added the bodice and shawl, running her fingers over the embroidery. _Bunads_ had different meanings depending on what colors were used. Erika’s was embroidered with white thread to show that she was unmarried. A smile curved her lips as she thought about her _tante’s_ wedding day. Anna had cried when Elsa presented her with a brand new _bunad_ made from the finest wool, embroidered in bright red, orange, green, and yellow- the colors of a married woman.

The smile turned to a puzzled frown as she thought about Elsa’s own costume. Her mother’s _bunad_ was plain. Widows wore black embroidery, unmarried women and girls wore white, and married women wore bright colors. Elsa wore none of them. Was it just because she was the queen?

She didn’t have time to think about it. A knock on the door, and a servant’s voice telling her that she had just five minutes left, and she was flying to put on her jewelry and shoes, including the delicate silver crown she so rarely wore. She was tempted to wake Sindri and bring him along with her, but the little bear was curled up in one of her stockings, and she didn’t think she should disturb him.

Erika checked one more time in the mirror, frowning. She wasn’t used to seeing a crown atop her hair, which she’d left loose. She shrugged and opened her bedroom door.

The castle was dark. All the lights were out. It looked deserted.

Erika gasped, her mind immediately flying to the worst. _The magic users’ vanishing! Could they have gotten to Mama?_

She dashed down the hallway, _magisk_ bursting to her fingertips in preparation for an attack. Erika’s heart pounded as she searched her mother’s room, then her aunt’s, then even the kitchens. The entire castle was empty- no servants, no _anyone._

“I’ll go to the trolls,” Erika said aloud. “They’ll know what to do…if they haven’t been taken, too. But I’ll need my horse to make it in time.”

She dashed down the long, spiral staircase, wishing she wasn’t wearing such a long, heavy skirt. She could take the hallway to the stable, but it would mean going around the entire castle. It would be faster to cut across the courtyard to the stables on the other side.

Panting, Erika ran to the outside doors, grasped the carved iron handle, and pulled.

For a moment, she was dazzled by the bright light that met her eyes. _Magisk_ thrummed against her fingers, unsure what was going on. Then the loud cheers filled her ears. “ _God helse,_ Princess!” “ _Velkommen hjem_ , Princess!”

Erika simply stood there, dazed and confused. Then she heard a familiar laugh, and an arm was slung about her shoulders. Erika looked up into Kristoff’s beaming face.

“I think we’ve frightened her!” her uncle called. “Erika, it’s all right. It’s all right. It’s a celebration, _niese!_ To welcome you home!”

And that brought Erika back to her senses. _Magisk_ retreated, curling cold on her chest. She looked around.

Elsa, laughing, stood hand in hand with Anna at the side of the steps, Arvik and Klaus next to her. Olaf bounced around them- the only person in sight who wasn’t wearing a _bunad_ (or clothes in general.) Sven was at the other side, a wide, reindeer smile on his face. And the courtyard was absolutely packed with people.

Erika’s mind was pulled back to the day she’d left. If she’d thought the whole kingdom had seen her off, she was very, very wrong. There were easily twenty times that jammed into the courtyard like _sardiner,_ and she could see more pressing against the gates. Trolls were scattered among the humans, too, and she made out the distinct form of Grand Pabbie, the crowd clearing a respectful circle around him.

Kristoff, grinning, gently shoved her forward, and Elsa caught her daughter by the arms, laughing like a schoolgirl. “Mama!” Erika gasped. “How…why?”

Elsa pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head. “You said you were afraid of the people fearing you,” she whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. “Do they look afraid of you now?”

Erika stared over her mother’s shoulder at the wildly cheering throng. They looked the furthest thing from afraid.

* * *

Erika and her family joined the rest of the people in the streets of the town. Purple and green banners flew from every available surface. An area had been cleared in the market square, and it was packed with musicians and people dancing. Long tables and benches had been set up on the cobblestones. The tables creaked under the weight of all the food that had been laid on them- huge platters of _ribbe_ and _pinekjøtt,_ plates of cod and potatoes, bowls of _lutefisk_ and _grøt,_ massive jugs of _glogg,_ _juleol,_ and _julebrus,_ and stacks of _pepperkake, sirupsnipper,_ and _krumkake._

“Mama, it isn’t _jul!_ ” Erika cried _._ “Where did all this come from?”

“It’s a celebration, snowflake,” Elsa answered, leading her to one of the tables. “Everyone wants to welcome you home.”

Erika scanned the crowd, seeing many familiar faces- Oaken gave her a wave, and Lieutenant Mattias and Halima were walking towards the dancing area. Halima wore a multicolored _bunad,_ but Lieutenant Mattias was in uniform. Erika smiled at them before they were swallowed by the throng of people.

“Erika!” several voices shouted. Erika turned to see four girls standing near the dancing area. Her hand flew to her mouth. She knew these girls- she had grown up with them, playing with them nearly every day after her lessons were over. Two of them were the daughters of courtiers and councilmembers, but the other two were commoners. It made no difference.

Erika squeezed her mother’s hand and then ran over to them, picking up her long skirts. The girls shared a mischievous grin, before all four of them curtsied in unison. “Your Royal Highness,” they chorused.

Erika blushed. “Oh, please don’t,” she said. “I still haven’t gotten used to being addressed as royalty again.”

Fiery Brynja frowned, shoving back one of her black braids. “You’re a princess! The Crown Princess of all Arendelle! Did the Auradon people not treat you like one?”

Erika smoothed her skirt. “Not…exactly,” she said hesitantly.

Kelda, a practical blonde, shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now,” she pointed out. “Auradon’s in the past.”

Eydis, light-hearted and bubbly, smoothed the pale braids wound across her head. “Tell us everything!” she demanded. “I want to know everything!”

Erika grinned. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed you all!” She drank in the girls’ faces, and then went still.

All four were dressed in traditional black _bunads,_ but only Brynja, Kelda, and Eydis had the white embroidery that signified an unmarried girl. The fourth girl, redheaded Lifa, had a new _bunad,_ trimmed with pale blue embroidery.

“Lifa!” Erika gasped, gesturing at the blue thread. “You’re engaged!” Lifa was the oldest of their group at twenty, shy and pretty.

Lifa smiled self-consciously, running her hands through her red curls. “Koli, the shoe-maker’s son, asked me three months ago,” she explained. “The wedding is going to be in spring.”

Kelda jumped in, as usual. “Eydis, here, sulked for days,” she said teasingly. “Koli is so handsome, she didn’t see why he chose Lifa over her.”

“I did not!” Eydis protested.

Brynja smirked. “You’re right, you didn’t,” she said. “You’ve been too busy staring at Brandr, the carpenter’s son.”

Eydis tossed her head. “He’s promised to dance with me later,” she declared. “Brynja, you’re just jealous that no boy has asked _you_ to dance.”

Brynja flicked back her braid again. “I don’t care about dancing,” she replied. “I’m busy training to join the guards.”

Erika laughed. “Still at that, Brynja?”

“You should have seen her two weeks ago!” Kelda put in. “She nearly skewered Lieutenant Mattias!”

Brynja put her hands on her hips. “He said he was impressed with my skill!”

“He was probably impressed that you managed to avoid killing him!” Eydis teased.

“All right, all right,” Lifa said, gently reining the conversation back in. “It’s Erika’s turn. They’re saying you faced Ben in a fight and won. Is that true?”

Erika burst out laughing. “No!” she said. “All I did was freeze the school!”

Brynja let out an ear-piercing whoop. “I told you she really did that! Five kroner from each of you!”

Amid groans and more teasing, the coins were tossed to Brynja, who pocketed them with a grin.

Kelda’s smile was ear-splitting. “Auradon certainly didn’t know what they were in for when they invited you to go to their boarding school,” she said.

“How was the school?” Eydis interrupted. “You didn’t make friends and forget about us, did you? Have you turned into one of their pretty pink princesses? Did you take Mal down a peg or two? Did you let Beast have a piece of your mind?”

“Um…” Erika thought a moment. “I made friends, but I didn’t forget about you, I didn’t turn into a perfect princess, I think I made sure Mal knew I wouldn’t bow down to her, and no, I only saw Beast one time.”

“Well, that’s fine if you didn’t let Beast have it,” Brynja remarked. “The queen definitely did.”

The girls dissolved into peals of giggles.

“I can’t believe Arendelle’s free,” Lifa said, swinging the conversation to a more serious topic. “And it’s thanks to you, Erika.”

Erika stepped back, raising her hands. “It wasn’t me,” she protested quickly. “It was Mama and the council who made the decision.”

“Because of what you did!” Brynja lightly punched Erika’s shoulder. “This girl…can’t take a compliment to save her life.”

“Never could,” Kelda agreed. “Well, at least you aren’t one of those stuffy, haughty royals who have to be the best at everything, Erika.”

Audrey flashed into Erika’s mind, and she laughed ruefully. “I’ve been involved with my fair share of those in Auradon.”

“Erika!” Elsa called. “It’s time to head inside!”

Erika bid farewell to her friends, following her mother and the rest of her family back to the courtyard steps. Arvik, looking sleepy, clung to Anna’s hand, while Kristoff led Sven, who carried a fast asleep Klaus on his back. More people swarmed after them, bidding them goodnight. Many reached out to touch Erika’s dress. Several of them repeated a phrase she’d never heard. “ _Søte drømmer, helt prinsesse.”_

Erika’s eyes filled with tears. “ _Tusen takk,_ ” she answered, brushing away the wetness on her cheeks. “ _Tusen takk,_ all of you.”

_How could I ever have thought my people would think I was a monster?_

She turned the title around and around in her mind. _Helt prinsesse…_ hero princess.

_Bunad-_ a traditional Norwegian costume

 _Datter-_ daughter

 _Tante-_ aunt

 _God helse-_ good health

 _Velkommen hjem-_ welcome home

 _Niese-_ niece

 _Sardiner-_ sardines

 _Ribbe-_ seasoned pork belly

 _Pinekjøtt-_ dried sheep

 _Grøt-_ rice porridge

 _Glogg-_ hot, red wine with fruit and almonds

 _Juleol-_ dark, spicy beer

 _Julebrus_ \- red cherry soda 

_Pepperkake-_ gingerbread cookies

 _Sirupsnipper-_ syrup snaps

 _Krumkake-_ waffle cookie filled with whipped cream

 _Jul-_ Christmas

 _Søte drømmer-_ sweet dreams

 _Helt prinsesse-_ hero princess


	5. Against War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Kristoff journey up the North Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re anything like me, you’re quarantined and bored out of your mind with this coronavirus thing going on. Seriously, I am ridiculously stir crazy already.   
> So, because of that, I have a lot of time on my hands. Except for school, I have nothing else to do. Because of that, and because I want to give you guys something to do while you’re stuck at home, I’m switching up my update schedule. Instead of updating once a week, I’m going to try my darned hardest to update every five, maybe even four, days. 
> 
> Here’s the first chapter from the new update schedule!

The sled rattled up the mountain at a breakneck speed, sending Erika’s hair flying behind her. Kristoff turned to her, grinning. “Too fast?” he asked.

“No!” Erika shook her head, spitting a lock of hair out of her mouth. “I like fast, remember?”

Kristoff shrugged and leaned forward, swaying back and forth dangerously as the sled careened around a bend. “Want to go faster for her, Sven?”

Sven responded with a snort, and Erika was thrown back against the seat as the reindeer put on a sudden burst of extra speed. She laughed happily as they flew up the rough trail.

Kristoff pointed out a few landmarks that blurred by. “Over there is where the ice harvesters work,” he said. Erika caught a glimpse of a sparkling, frozen lake before the sled passed. “And that’s the cloudberry glen we used to go to.”

“ _Onkel,_ I’ve been to all these places before,” Erika answered, giggling. “I’m not some tourist fresh off a boat.”

“I know,” Kristoff replied, giving her a teasing smile. “Just making sure you didn’t forget where anything is. Whoa!” He dove forward and snatched the reins. “Stop, buddy!”

Sven’s hooves dug into the ground as he brought the sled to a screeching halt. Erika clung to the side as the sled skidded a bit forward. “What’s wrong?” she asked, when she got her breath.

Kristoff pointed ahead. “That’s the cliff your aunt and I jumped,” he said. “I…uh…I might have forgotten that we were close to it.”

Erika stared at him and then burst out laughing. “ _You_ were the one who forgot a location? I would have never seen that coming!”

“Well, I didn’t see that cliff coming,” Kristoff answered, chuckling. “You know, I’m still surprised we survived that.”

Erika stood up in the sled, trying to see over the edge of the cliff. “Can we jump it?”

“No,” Kristoff said quickly. “Your mother would murder me, and your aunt would probably take on whatever was left.”

Erika laughed, plopping back down to her seat. “All right, all right.”

Kristoff dismounted, pulling a carrot from his satchel. “Here you go, bud,” he said. Erika watched in half disgust, half fascination as he let the reindeer gobble half the carrot, then popped the rest into his mouth.

A whimper startled her, and she lifted her arm, reaching into her sleeve and pulling Sindri out. The little creature looked dazed, stumbling along her lap until he collapsed on her thigh, his paws spread out and his wings drooping tiredly.

“Aww,” Erika crooned. “Poor little _bjørn._ Was that too fast for you?”

Sindri rolled over onto his back, and Erika rubbed her finger along his stomach. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, and he made his happy _chrr_ noise. Erika laughed, scooping him up and tossing him into the air.

Sindri flapped his wings until he got his balance, then abruptly folded them and nosedived into a snowdrift. Erika gasped and climbed out of the sled, running over to make sure he was all right. Sindri popped out of the snow right in front of her, shaking off the wetness. His wings pulsed blue, reflecting Erika’s own happiness.

“He okay?” Kristoff asked, coming over to stand behind her. Erika let Sindri land on her finger and then transferred him to Kristoff’s hand.

“He’s fine.”

“He’s cold!” her uncle gasped, as Sindri rubbed his wings along his hand. Erika laughed.

“Of course he’s cold, _Onkel-_ he’s made of snow and ice, just like Olaf,” she explained. “Haven’t you looked at him closely yet?”

“Uh…no,” Kristoff said. “I figured you just brought him home from Auradon.”

Sindri cocked his head and sniffed one of Kristoff’s fingers, his tiny nose twitching. Then he opened his mouth and sank tiny, icicle-sharp teeth into Kristoff’s hand.

“Ow,” Kristoff said, lifting his hand. Sindri dangled off it for a second, then let go and pulled a strand of Kristoff’s hair. “Was that supposed to be painful? Because it felt like a pinprick.”

“His teeth are tiny,” Erika said. “He can’t really hurt anyone.”

Kristoff went cross-eyed as Sindri tugged a lock of hair down in front of his nose, shaking his head like a dog as he played tug-of-war with it. “So why can’t he talk? Olaf can talk.”

“I didn’t know what I was doing when I made him,” Erika said. “It was strange- it was like my magic took over, controlled my hands and focused my mind. The only thing I thought about was making him so I could contact Mama- my magic did everything else. I don’t think I needed him to talk, so my magic didn’t give him that ability.” _Magisk_ surged up at the mention of it, and she felt its cool touch around her neck. She reached up and smoothed her rumpled hair. “I don’t know if Mama’s magic works the same way or not.”

“You know, the trolls tried to teach me magic,” Kristoff said thoughtfully. “Never really understood it.”

“It’s hard to learn,” Erika replied. “It’s a lot easier if you’re born with it, like I was. Or if you have a spellbook, like Mal’s. You can’t really learn to use magic if you weren’t born with at least a little bit of magic in you. You can learn how it works, but you can’t use it.”

“Makes sense,” Kristoff said. “I never understood why Auradon thought it was so dangerous.”

Familiar screams filled Erika’s ears as flashes of memory stormed into her mind. The school covered with ice, a bright red icicle growing from a table like a weapon, her own hands coated in red ice that slowly turned to evil’s black, a dark crocus on a stone wall. She shook her head to clear the images.

“It is dangerous,” she replied, “more dangerous than any other force- science, nature, alchemy…none of them can stand up to magic when it comes down to it.” Almost unconsciously, she reached down and stirred _magisk,_ and it surged to life within her, whispering comfort with a voice only she could hear. “But what makes it dangerous also makes it beautiful.”

She felt a chill on her forehead and knew that _magisk_ was there, drawing up more memories. More visions paraded in front of her eyes- yellow swirls, red daggers, blue spirals, purple crystals, white shards, and black snowflakes, each dazzling in their own way. She remembered the way the storm over Auradon had looked, how her anger had created something both evil and good. She remembered the danger she posed to Auradon, and she knew that it was beautiful.

“So you figured out how to make living things,” Kristoff was saying, and she turned her attention back to him, clearing the fog of thoughts from her mind. “Have you made any more?”

Erika shook her head. “I haven’t exactly figured it out yet,” she said. “I just…did it, and it worked, somehow.” A grin crossed her face. “But I can do this.”

She shot a stream of white ice at the rock wall behind them. It bounced off the stone and hit the ground, blooming into a detailed sculpture of Sven, antlers and all.

“Whoa!” Kristoff grabbed Sven’s bridle and led him over to see it. “It looks just like me!” he said in his Sven voice.

Erika laughed and added Kristoff standing next to him. “Up here on the mountain, they shouldn’t melt,” she said. “Even in summer, it doesn’t get hot enough up here to dissolve them.”

“You’re telling me,” Kristoff said, bending down and poking the snow on the ground. “There’s plenty of snow here for…”

Erika yelped as a snowball hit her in the face. She stared at her uncle in shock.

Kristoff doubled over, laughing hysterically, until Erika fired a return shot that knocked his cap off his head. And then they launched into a full-on snowball fight, Kristoff using the mountain snow and Erika using her own. Kristoff took shelter behind the sled, but Sindri tried to dive-bomb him (rather unsuccessfully, because he was so little) providing Erika with an ample opportunity to throw four snowballs into her uncle’s chest. Kristoff, however, returned fire, hitting her in the face and shoulder. Even Sven got in on the action, plunging his hooves and antlers into snowbanks and showering snow all over both Kristoff and Erika. Black and white flakes floated in the air as laughter rang off the mountains.

Finally, breathless and red-faced, Kristoff held up a hand and declared a truce. “We should get going,” he said, climbing back into the sled. “There’s a place a little further up the mountain where you can see across the whole kingdom. I can’t wait to take you up there.”

Erika nodded and got into the seat beside him, calling for Sindri. The little bear curled up just behind her neck in the hood of her shirt.

“Okay, Sven, let’s go!” Kristoff called, and they started off up the mountain, going at a pace that was slightly less likely to throw them over the side of the trail.

“Oh,” Erika breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

The sun was just beginning to set over the fjord, sending golden light dancing off the water. The village stretched out far, far below, the palace sitting above it like a crown, haloed in gold from the reflection of the water. Erika couldn’t make out any people, since they were so high on the mountain, but she knew that the streets would be beginning to clear as the citizens went home to their families and their fires.

“It’s gorgeous, _Onkel_ Kristoff!” she cried, throwing her arms around him in a hug. Kristoff blushed.

“I just stumbled across it one day and thought you might like to see it,” he responded. “But there’s more. Look up there.” He turned her around and pointed between a gap in the cliffs that surrounded them.

Erika squinted, able to make out _something_ through the fissure, something sharp and sparkling…”It’s Mama’s ice palace!” she cried. “Are we really up that high?”

Kristoff shook his head. “Not really, no. She built that place above us, so we can see it from here. But it’d take us an hour or so to get up there, and we don’t have time today.” He sighed and sat down on the edge of the small rock outcropping they stood on, dangling his legs over the impossibly high edge. He pointed out toward the horizon, where the sails of an approaching ship could just be seen, dark, spindly shadows against the sun. “Remember when you were little, about seven or so? I’d take you down to the docks, and you’d describe the ships’ flags, and I’d tell you what kingdom they were from?”

Erika laughed, remembering. “And when I got older, you had me try to guess the kingdom,” she replied.

“You never could remember what Agrabah’s flag looked like,” Kristoff said. “You always thought it was Corona.”

“Well, they both had purple on them,” Erika said. “And I was only, what, eight or nine? Corona was easier to remember.” She looked out towards the fjord. “I wonder where that ship’s from?”

“It’s too far away and too bright to tell right now,” Kristoff said. “But we’ll see when it gets darker.”

Erika sighed. “I missed these mountains. Auradon was mostly flat. I kept looking out my window, expecting to see the fjord, and snowcapped peaks above it, but I just saw a kingdom that hated me- hated us.”

Kristoff set a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I miss the mountains, too,” he said. “Sometimes even now. I mean, it’s great living in the palace with Anna and the boys, and you and your mother, of course, and I wouldn’t leave it for anything. But this is my home…it’s where I grew up. There are times I get…sort of homesick.” He smiled. “It’s trips like these that help.”

They sat in silence for awhile, each lost in thought as darkness crept over the mountains. Finally, Kristoff broke the stillness. “That ship’s close enough now,” he said, pointing to where the ship slithered through the fjord, darkness stretching behind it as if the ship spilled ink over the landscape as it came. “Let’s see where it’s from. Um…it's flying a blue flag, with a yellow flower on it…”

At the same time, both he and Erika jumped up and shouted, “Auradon!”

_Onkel-_ uncle

_B_ _jørn-_ bear


	6. Against Demands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwanted visitor from Auradon holds a meeting with Elsa and Erika.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again, guys! This chapter is actually a little long- it’s about 200 words more than usual. This one was super fun to write, although I have to admit I am looking forward to the next chapter a little bit more. That will drop on Monday, possibly Sunday.

Erika and Kristoff crashed into Elsa’s room like twin whirlwinds. “Mama!” Elsa cried, at the same time as Kristoff shouted, “Elsa!”

Elsa leapt up from her desk, alarm crossing her face, and Erika saw blue gather at her fingertips. “What is it? What’s happened?”

Kristoff glanced at Erika. “We were on the mountain,” he explained. “At the lookout. There’s a ship coming into the harbor. From Auradon.”

Elsa’s back stiffened, and Erika read the anger in her mother’s face. “I made it very clear that there would be no ambassadors,” she said. “Send guards to meet them.”

Kristoff nodded. “Should I turn them away?”

“Yes,” Elsa answered, but then she shook her head. “No, wait. I want to see why they’re here. Whoever’s on board, bring them to me.”

Kristoff hurried out of the room.

Elsa let out a frustrated sigh, beginning to pace. “The council helped me word that letter diplomatically,” she said. “It was meant to defuse the situation! Why didn’t it?”

Erika flinched, knowing who had been the cause of the situation in Auradon.

Elsa stopped her pacing and drew her daughter to her side. “You did nothing wrong, Erika,” she assured her. “You simply stoked up a fire that had been smoldering in the shadows since Auradon forced us to join them.” She ran a hand over Erika’s hair. “Whoever is on that ship, they’re going to paint you in a bad light. They’re going to be careful not to insult me, but you’re probably going to be a different matter. Would you like to be in the room with me and Anna when I talk to them? Or would you like me to tell you what they said afterward?”

Erika hesitated. On the one hand, she didn’t know how she could take more insults and cutting words from Auradon. On the other, she’d already gone through months of them.

 _Magisk_ coiled about her arms. _I will protect you._

 _I know,_ Erika thought. _I just don’t know what it’s going to do to my confidence. I was strong when I left Auradon, but no one in Arendelle treats me the way they do there. Maybe I’ve gotten more sensitive, more…soft._

She felt the bubbling tingle that meant _magisk_ was laughing. _If being home has made you anything, Erika, it has made you stronger._

She smiled. “I want to be there,” she answered her mother.

Elsa patted her shoulder. “Good. I wasn’t going to influence your decision, but I think it’ll go better if Auradon doesn’t think you’re hiding from them. If you’re willing to be there while our…visitor or visitors throw their worst at you, then it will show them that you are not afraid of what they do or say.” A girlish smile appeared on her face. “However, I’d like to make a point with this impromptu meeting. I want Auradon to know that I do not appreciate this infringement on our terms of secession. I’ll make it as hard as possible for them to get anything across to me, you, Anna, and the council.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Care to help me with that?”

* * *

The tension in the air was thick as fog on the mountains, and almost as visible, as Erika followed her mother into the large room where official business between kingdoms took place. A long, oak table filled most of the room, a purple and green runner declaring Arendelle’s flag. Elsa took her place at the head of the table, and Erika sat on her right. Anna was on Elsa’s left, and from there about eight members of the council sat.

Under the table, Elsa squeezed her daughter’s hand. “We’re ready,” she said to the guard at the door. “See our visitors in.”

The guard gave her a brisk nod and slipped out.

Erika felt _magisk_ surge to her fingertips as they heard footsteps outside the door, and she quieted it. _They won’t try anything,_ she assured it. _Not with Mama, Tante Anna, and some of the council sitting right here._

But when the door opened, she felt her heart drop. The one person in all of Auradon who would try something stood, flanked by Arendelle guards in their gray-green uniforms, just outside.

Mal’s eyes carried a hint of green as she stepped inside the room. She wore a thick purple cloak over a heavy, dark pink gown that Erika recognized as one of Auradon’s “winter” fashions. Fur-lined green boots came halfway up her legs, and she had traded her fingerless leather gloves for thick, knitted ones. By Auradon standards, she looked ready for the chilling temperatures of the mountain kingdom.

By Arendelle standards, she looked ridiculous, and by the looks some of the council members were sharing, they thought the same. Arendelle’s citizens were better prepared for cold weather- even without the cold resistance Erika and Elsa had- so they never dressed as heavily for their winter, though it was more extreme than other kingdoms.

Mal’s gaze locked on Erika, and her eyes narrowed to dragonlike slits. She turned to Elsa and made the smallest curtsy possible. “Your Grace,” she said.

Several of the council members gasped. Mal- who had been given the title of Lady in Auradon- had just addressed Elsa as if they were of equal rank. Elsa was supposed to be referred to as “Her Majesty”. It was a serious insult…if Mal had meant it. She had been raised on the Isle, after all- proper royal etiquette may not be one of the things she had learned during her time in Auradon.

However, it did make their plan easier.

The council head nodded for Mal to take her seat, and she immediately leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table, and stared at Elsa. “I’ll be blunt,” she said. “King Beast isn’t happy. He’s sent me because he was too afraid of Erika to send Ben, in case she did something to him.” Erika’s eyes widened as she saw green running through Mal’s wrists. “I at least have something to fight back with,” Mal continued. “Ben would have been defenseless against Erika’s magic. But, since she’s so dangerous, I’ll have to ask that she leave this meeting.”

Elsa exchanged a meaningful glance with Erika, and then turned back to Mal. “You did not call this meeting,” she declared. “You have no authority to ask that my daughter leave it.”

Mal blinked, her brows furrowing in confusion. “What?”

Elsa had spoken in the Arendelle tongue.

“My mother has not spent as much time as I have in Auradon,” Erika cut in smoothly. “She doesn’t understand your language the way I do. I’m here to serve as interpreter.” She relayed Elsa’s reply back to Mal. “So, you see, I can’t really leave. At least not if you wanted to discuss anything.”

Erika could _hear_ Mal’s teeth grinding against each other, and she hid a smile. She and Elsa had decided to make it clear that the divide between Auradon and Arendelle was permanent, while also giving Erika a reason to stay in case their visitor from Auradon demanded that she leave.

“According to the records, Elsa was able to speak the Auradon language perfectly well when Beast accepted Arendelle into the United Kingdoms,” Mal tried. Erika clenched her fist. She was making it sound as if Arendelle had begged to be part of Auradon, instead of forced into it. She recited Mal’s message in her own language.

One of the councilmembers spoke up, and Erika barely restrained a laugh as he, too, spoke the Arendelle language. “If Her Majesty will pardon me, it has been seventeen years since that day,” he said, and Erika translated. “She has not been to Auradon since that time. Doubtless, Her Majesty has forgotten the Auradon tongue.”

Mal stared at him as Erika repeated what he’d said, then sank back, that battle lost. “Fine. Whatever,” she growled. “Let’s just get on with it.”

Erika enjoyed how maddeningly slow the discussion went, partially since Mal grew more and more infuriated the longer it dragged on. Everything she said, Erika repeated in the Arendelle language, and the answer had to be translated into the Auradon tongue. It was a long process, and Mal fidgeted more and more as it went on, not knowing or not caring that it made her look rough and unruly next to the polished manners of the Arendelle council.

It turned out that Mal had been sent to them to read a declaration from Beast. In the letter, he took on the role of a stern adult admonishing a defiant child, saying that Arendelle was unable to appreciate the benefits of being a part of Auradon- _what benefits?_ Erika thought- and that once they chose to come back to him, they would find themselves losing some of the privileges that the other kingdoms enjoyed. There would be a permanent troop of soldiers stationed in Arendelle once they rejoined the United Kingdoms, to make sure no more “unpleasant insurrections” occurred. Every law and rule put into place would have to be run by Beast, and travel into and out of Arendelle would need to be approved by Auradon. Finally, there would be an annual tribute imposed, and all children of the royal family would need to attend school in Auradon- not just high school, but their full education. Erika’s heart twisted. _Arvik…Klaus. Beast would try to make them hostages, too._ She saw the anger on Anna’s face, but her aunt said nothing.

The council sat as impassive and unmoving as stones when Erika paused after translating this part. There was no argument, no outrage against Beast. Erika knew that their silence was worse than defiance. It was showing Mal- and it would show Beast- that they didn’t care what he threatened them with, since they would never be under his rule again. Mal cleared her throat and read the next section.

Beast’s tone changed, now. He became a loving father, trying to coax his wayward child back into the fold. He understood the high tensions in Arendelle. He recognized that they didn’t want their way of life destroyed. He had had experts look into it, he claimed, and they knew that magic was only practiced by the trolls, Elsa, and Erika. Surely that small group could renounce it? He wasn’t asking much, after all. And it was for their own safety, not just for the safety of the other kingdoms.

He turned conniving then, a spy sowing distrust and doubt amongst their people. How much could they really trust their princess? She had destroyed their school in the space of twenty minutes! How much could she do if given full freedom to use her magic? And how far did the danger extend? Their own queen had once plunged their kingdom into winter. Who could say whether she would do so again? This time, maybe the storm would rage on. Maybe their entire kingdom would be buried beneath snow. How they would wish they had listened to him then.

Erika could hardly bear to translate that part, but she did. Mal watched the councilmembers’ faces carefully, but still they sat defiant and silent. Elsa, however, spoke.

“I see Beast is foolish enough to insult me in the same breath as he tries to win me over to his side,” she said. “His two faces show themselves again. A humble man, trying to protect a small, weak kingdom…and a beast, willing to crush a small kingdom who stood up for themselves and proved their own strength.”

Mal’s face turned as purple as her cloak as Erika translated. “I’m only the messenger,” she said. “This was meant to be read aloud to all your kingdom.”

Almost as soon as Erika repeated her words, she plunged on. The final portion of the declaration portrayed Beast as a firm, but fair, king. _Magic cannot be allowed in Auradon and the kingdoms that are part of it,_ he’d written. _Your trolls will be allowed to remain, so long as they swear to renounce their magic._ He repeated the terms he’d set in the first section, the restrictions he’d added and privileges that he’d taken away. But then, he put in one final portion. _All of these provisions will be taken away immediately should the Queen Elsa and Princess Erika be delivered to Auradon for transport to the Isle of the Lost. Should only the Princess Erika be delivered to us, then the tribute, the soldiers, and the need for laws to be approved by Auradon will stand._

The room was silent as Erika finished translating. Mal sat staring around the room. “Well?” she demanded at length. “Say something!”

Erika repeated what she’d said, wondering what the response would be.

Elsa stood up, her eyes hard and cold as the ice that coated her hands up to the elbows. “I’ll say something,” she said, speaking the Auradon language but adding a heavy accent to keep up their ruse. “I want you out of this kingdom before nightfall.”

Mal shrugged. “Fine. But I’m supposed to give you this.” She held out the declaration.

To Erika’s surprise, Anna jumped up and grabbed it. “The last time Beast gave us a document, my sister froze it,” she said, also adding an accent to her words. “Now, it’s my turn.”

She held the paper up and tore it, shredding it into tiny pieces and dropping it to the floor.

“Mal,” Elsa declared, “the guards will escort you to the docks and onto your ship. And from now on, when I say I’m accepting no ambassadors, I mean _no ambassadors._ ” She stood up and planted her hands on the table. “Now get out.”


	7. Against Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika gets some answers and meets some new faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of two chapters to be posted either tonight or tomorrow morning! 
> 
> This one actually requires a bit of explanation. Waaaay back in my first story, one person commented on every single chapter, without fail, and it really made my day. One of the best things about their comments was the ideas they came up with. One of those ideas was to involve Genie in some way. When this person, who comments under the name BriEva, suggested that, I replied back and said that I would rearrange my plot line to do it. Several chapters later, I introduced this arc about magic wielders disappearing. BriEva probably didn’t realize, but that was to bring in her idea. (I am SO SORRY if you’re not a girl...I’m just assuming, and I apologize if I assumed wrong😬) And now, seven chapters into the second book...we finally get to see her idea in its full form. 
> 
> BriEva, this chapter is dedicated to you, and the credit for the idea goes to you, as well. Thank you so much for your continued support and awesome analyses of chapters. I love how creative you are, and how many amazing ideas you’ve given me. I love how invested you are in my work, and sometimes it almost feels like you’re helping me write it. Tusen takk!

“I am _sick and tired_ of Auradon!” Anna seethed, pacing back and forth across the floor of Elsa’s room. Anna, Elsa, and Erika had decided to talk over the events of the meeting after Mal had been escorted from the palace. They needed a way to release the stress of the past few days.

“If I had your powers, Elsa, Auradon would be so deep in a blizzard they’d never recover,” Anna continued, her hands clenched into fists.

“Anna, I’m angry, too, but now is not the time to be reckless,” Elsa said, her fury calmer and more restrained than her younger sister’s.

Anna’s eyes flashed green fire. “Reckless? You think I’m acting reckless? They threatened my _sons,_ Elsa!”

“And they’ve already carried out that threat with my daughter,” Elsa replied, standing up and laying a hand on Erika’s shoulder. “But we have more to worry about than Beast holding a few punishments over our heads for ‘when we rejoin him.’ For one thing, we can’t do anything to retaliate against Auradon right now. Neither side has officially declared war. If we attack Auradon now, all the other kingdoms would band against us. Erika and I may be strong, but even we can’t take on that many. Arendelle would be crushed, and Beast would reign.” She sighed. “For another thing, we’ll have to have the council’s permission to do anything, even if war is declared. I may be queen, but in times of war, I have very little real authority. For a third thing, we can’t just take revenge, no matter how fair it is. It’s not just our own families we have to worry about. We have to think about every family in Arendelle, and how each decision we make will affect them.”

Anna plopped down on the bed. “This is why you’re the queen,” she muttered, slumping over and putting her head in her hands. “I would just storm the place and be done with it.”

Elsa laughed. “I’m sure you would,” she said. “But that’s not what we need to do right now. What we have to do right now is make sure our people are protected. You heard what Beast plans to do if he conquers us, or if we surrender. Erika and I will be sent to the Isle. The trolls will be forced to renounce their magic. You and Kristoff will have to step in as Queen and Prince Consort, which neither of you are prepared for. Arvik and Klaus will be sent to school in Auradon. Soldiers from Auradon will be posted, every little decision will have to be approved by Beast, we’ll have to pay tribute to Auradon, and Beast is even planning to restrict travel in and out. Arendelle will become a prison for our people, unless we are strong enough to stand against him.” She smoothed back a few flyaway strands of her hair. “He intends to make an example of us. We have to make sure that he has no opportunity to do that.”

“What should we do?” Anna asked.

Erika looked closely at her mother’s face. She was shocked to find uncertainty in her expression.

“I don’t know,” Elsa answered quietly. “We have to wait until Auradon declares war before we can even send a reply to Beast, otherwise he’ll take it as revenge.”

“What about his declaration? Are you planning to have it read to the people?”

“There’s pros and cons to each answer to that,” Elsa said, shaking her head. “I don’t want to lie to them. I feel like they should know exactly what they’re up against. But I also don’t want to spread panic.”

“Do you think there’s anyone who would turn you and Erika in? Or turn against you?” Anna asked, dropping her voice as if someone could overhear them.

Elsa shook her head fervently. “I don’t know all of Arendelle’s citizens personally, but I know a good amount. You saw them at the celebration. They support us wholeheartedly. I suppose there could be a few who might decide that they’d rather stand against us than risk Auradon’s punishment, but I trust my kingdom.” She sighed. “This could not come at a worse time. We’re dealing with so much right now- Erika’s still adjusting to being home, we’re still trying to find out how our relationships with the other kingdoms stand…”

“And we still have magic-wielders going missing,” Erika broke in.

Both Anna and Elsa stared at her.

“You didn’t tell her?” Anna cried.

“It must have slipped my mind in the confusion!” Elsa gasped.

“It’s been two months!”

“It hasn’t been a very normal two months!”

“What are you talking about?” Erika asked, completely bewildered.

Anna and Elsa both turned to look at her.

“Snowflake,” Elsa started, “how do you feel about another trip up the North Mountain?”

* * *

“Where are we going, Mama?” Erika asked. She was back in Kristoff’s sled, going at a fast but definitely not breakneck pace.

“The ice palace,” Elsa answered. “I have to show you something.”

Erika shrugged and leaned back. “All right.” She was used to her mother’s sometimes secretive ways. Deep inside her, _magisk_ thrummed with curiosity, and she was finding it difficult to keep it contained.

They continued up the mountain, and Erika focused on simply enjoying the scenery. She kept thinking about the differences between Arendelle and Auradon. Every night in Auradon Prep, she had stared out her window at the perfect hedges in the courtyard, the city beyond, and the few small mountains in the distance. Auradon was a kingdom of technology and perfection, rigid lines and even more rigid rules.

Arendelle was a wild country. No one made plants grow in a certain direction. No one clipped them when they grew a little out of order. Mountains surrounded the small, scattered villages like a halo, and the sea and the fjords created silvery pathways through the land.

Erika was so focused on her thoughts that she almost didn’t notice when Elsa reined Sven to a stop. “We’re here,” she said.

Erika smiled, gazing up the beautiful ice staircase to the sharp, crystal silhouette of her mother’s ice palace. “Mama?” she asked as she climbed down from the sled.

“Yes, Erika?”

“If you had needed to…if Hans hadn’t taken you back down to the fjord…would you have been able to live up here? Forever?”

Elsa stopped, cocking her head. “I think I would have been able to stand it for a while,” she answered. “But eventually, it would have gotten too much for me. The first time I was in isolation, it was because my parents told me to stay away from Anna for her safety. I agreed with them, but it still wasn’t my choice. The second time…I made the decision all on my own. I don’t think I would have been able to bear it for more than perhaps a year or two.” She shook her head. “But then again, I didn’t have to.”

Elsa stepped over to the staircase. “We really should get up there,” she said. “They’ll probably be surprised to see you.”

“Marshmallow and the snowgies?” Erika asked. “I haven’t seen them since before I left!”

Her mother looked as if she was about to say something, but she just turned and hurried up the staircase. _Magisk_ hummed with such curiosity that Erika had to throw a few swirls of snow into the air just to release it.

Elsa gave her a smile as they reached the top of the staircase. She lifted one hand and knocked three times on the huge ice door. The sound rang around the mountain peak.

Erika couldn’t hold back a smile as the door creaked open to reveal Marshmallow. The snow monster’s eyes widened in surprise as he saw them. He bowed to Elsa and then wrapped Erika in a hug, lifting her off the ground.

“Good to see you, too, Marshmallow!” she cried breathlessly.

The snow monster grunted, carefully set her down, and then gave Elsa the same treatment. Erika laughed at her mother’s surprised face.

And then she was knocked over by a pile of snowgies, all chattering happily and bouncing over her. “Hey guys! Sludge, Slush, Slide! I missed you so much! Oh, Ansel, Crystal, you’re looking well! Fridge, Flurry, oh, and Flake’s here too! Power, Pat, how are you? Sphere, Squalor, I have got to introduce you to Sindri sometime- you’ll love him. Oh, hello, William!”

“Erika!” Elsa called, laughing.

“Coming, Mama!” Erika stood up, shaking off snowgies, and dashed into the palace.

As always, she was awestruck by the beauty of the place. The snowflake chandelier hung, rebuilt, above her heads. The small rooms that branched off the main one looked the same as they always had, sparkling ice in different textures and colors- purple, yellow, red, blue, white. Erika wondered what it would look like if she added a room using her black ice.

And then, as she followed her mother up the staircase to the second floor, she forgot all about it and focused on the five strangers that stood up to greet them.

“Elsa, how ya doin’, babe?” A man who was decidedly _blue_ wrapped her mother in a hug, then slapped his forehead. “Oh! Bad genie! What am I thinkin’?” A ruler popped out of midair and tapped his fingers as he bowed dramatically. “I mean to say, Queen Elsa Your Majesty the High Ruler of Arendelle the Kingdom of Isolation Which Is Newly Freed From Auradon And All That Jazz. And guest! Who is this, and why does she look just like you?”

“Calling me Elsa is just fine, Genie,” Elsa said, a smile on her face. “And this is my daughter, Erika.”

Erika curtsied automatically, completely bewildered.

“Erika! So you’re the one who showed those Auradon stiffs up and turned their school into a popsicle!” The blue man- Genie, apparently- pointed a finger at her, and a large gold medal appeared around her neck. “The hero princess! Or princess hero, whichever way it goes.”

Erika stared at him. Then she turned and looked at the other people who had gathered around them- an old man with an almost impossibly long beard and an owl perched on his shoulder, a muscular man with curly reddish-blond hair and an outfit that was definitely armor, a man with curly black hair and dark skin covered in tattoos who cradled a massive hook in one strong hand, and a slender young woman who looked similar, minus the tattoos and hook. Both of the last two wore heavy, fur-lined cloaks.

“Mama? What…who are these people? Why is Genie here? Isn’t he supposed to be…” Erika trailed off as realization hit her. “Mama! The magic-wielders…you’ve been kidnapping them!”

“Not kidnapping, exactly,” the young woman said. “We’re not prisoners. We’re more like…refugees. No, that isn’t the right word.”

“The word you’re looking for is _guests,_ my dear,” the old man supplied, bowing regally to Erika. “Pleased to meet you, Princess Erika. I am Merlin of Camelot.” He swept his hand towards the others. “My friends are Hercules of Olympus, Genie of Agrabah, and Maui and Moana of…I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve forgotten the name of your island.”

“Motonui,” the man with the hook supplied. “Little kingdom with some great scenery and a strangely friendly ocean. It’s a lot warmer there, which explains the cloaks. We aren’t really used to this kind of cold.”

“Olympus has pretty rough winters, thanks to Boreas, so I’m fine,” broke in the armored man, who Erika guessed was Hercules. “And I’m pretty sure Merlin’s magic keeps him warm.”

“I wish mine did that,” said the young woman.

“You all have magic?” Erika put a hand to her head. “I’m sorry, I think I need to sit down. This is a lot to take in.”

A chair appeared behind her, courtesy of Genie.

“Well, we don’t all have magic the way you do, my dear,” Merlin said. “Hercules here is a god-“

“Demigod, technically,” said Hercules. Merlin gave him a pointed glance over his spectacles.

“As I was saying, Hercules is a demigod, and as such has strength derived from magic. Maui is also a demigod, and has a magic fish hook which allows him to-“

 _“Cheeeehoooo!”_ the tattooed man interrupted, and turned into a lizard.

“Ahem!” Merlin cleared his throat and continued, glaring at Maui. “As for Moana-“

“The ocean is a friend of mine,” the young woman said, smiling wide.

Merlin shook his head. “Genie…well, you’ve already seen what he can do.”

Genie grinned, making a pair of dark glasses appear in front of his eyes, giving himself a glittery white suit, and arranging his hair in a high style Erika didn’t recognize. “Thank you, thank you very much.”

“As for me, I am a wizard,” Merlin finished, bowing again and dislodging the owl on his shoulder, who perched on the railing with an indignant squawk.

“Well, I’m pleased to meet you all,” Erika said. “But…I’m sorry if I seem rude, but why are you here?”

The five of them shared a glance. “We’re…” Hercules rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “We’re sort of…”

“The word you’re looking for,” said Merlin, “is _rebels._ ”


	8. Against Odds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa make some hard decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I am so, so sorry that I haven’t posted in so long!!! I’ve been “on vacation” in Pennsylvania, and it’s been more than a little bumpy, so I just haven’t been feeling in the mood to write recently. I really should have told you guys, but I just didn’t want to- it all boils down to I got lazy, y’all. Sorry- I’ll try my best to update regularly, but the story will likely only pick up real speed once I’m back home in New Mexico.

“Rebels?” Erika put a hand to her forehead. “All of this is giving me a headache.”

“Someone get her some ice!” Genie bellowed, and then burst out laughing. “You get it? Ice? She’s the snow princess?”

Maui laughed along with Genie, Moana snickered, Hercules looked confused, and Merlin had a decidedly unamused expression. Elsa simply smiled.

“No, no, I’m fine, it’s just…this is a lot to take in. I thought Arendelle was the only kingdom to have problems with Auradon. But you all are willing to rebel against it?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, my dear,” Merlin said, adjusting his glasses. “We are rebels against some of Auradon’s practices, but not necessarily against the kingdom itself. Er, none of our kingdoms would be willing to overthrow Auradon entirely. However, we do take Arendelle’s side in the matter…unofficially. Should it come to war, your mother would find herself with more than a few powerful allies.”

“That’s good to hear,” Erika said. “But…why are you on our side? Exactly, I mean. Is it just that Auradon hates magic?”

“I think that’s the gist of it,” Hercules answered. “But we all have more specific reasons than that. If Auradon decides to do away with _all_ magic except for what they think is necessary, it could have catastrophic effects on our kingdoms.”

“I’ve already lost my magic once,” Maui said, gripping his fishhook. “I don’t want that to happen again.”

“I’d be devastated if the ocean went back to being just normal water.” Moana pulled her cloak tighter around her body. “It’s like my friend.”

Erika could relate to that. _Magisk_ spun up from inside her to rest on the top of her head at the thought.

“My beloved Camelot would suffer no ill effects from the removal of magic, although I doubt Archimedes would still be able to converse with me.” Merlin held out an arm to let the owl alight on it. “But doubtless, the removal of magic would give Auradon a sense of power that it should not have. They could try to force-“ he shuddered- “ _technology_ into my kingdom. Besides, I am a wizard. I use magic daily.”

“I’m literally made of magic,” Genie said, creating sparkles in the air. “Put the pieces together.”

Hercules nodded. “That would probably go for Zeus, Hera, and the rest of my family in Olympus. Not to mention my wife, Megara. She was resurrected by magic, so she might return to being, well, dead.”

“As you can see, my dear, we all have our personal reasons,” Merlin summed up. “But since Auradon’s focus seems to be on your charming kingdom- or shall I say queendom,” he said with a nod in Elsa’s direction, “then we have banded together in order to protect it. Aside from Motonui and Dunbroch, yours is the smallest country on the map. If Arendelle is able to stand against Auradon, then it would send a signal to Auradon and the rest of the known world that would not be ignored.”

“Not to mention they’d probably lay off the rules a little,” Genie interrupted, briefly turning into a mailbox and spewing envelopes all over the floor. “Do you know how many letters Jasmine and Aladdin have gotten about making me cool it with the magic?” The envelopes disappeared in a shower of sparkles. “Ha! Cool it! Did you get it?”

“Yes, Genie, we ‘got it’,” Merlin said, shaking his head just slightly at him. He turned back to Erika. “So you see, my dear, Arendelle does not stand alone in this fight, and neither do you.” The old man reached out and took Erika’s hands in hers. _Magisk_ protested, coiling up to burst from her fingertips, but Erika quieted it. She trusted these people. They were magic users, like she and her mother. They had gone through the same struggles she had. She could rely on them.

“We have all heard about what you did, Erika,” Merlin said, so low that only she and her mother could hear him. “You were the first to stand up against Auradon. You are the bravest of us all. But you must be careful. If Auradon declares war, they will come after you first, before any of us. You are the most dangerous to them, even above Queen Elsa, since they do not know yet exactly what you are capable of.”

“They don’t know what Mama’s capable of, either,” Erika replied, earning a flash of a smile from her mother.

“Your mother was willing to submit to them, however, for a time,” Merlin answered. “They will doubtless believe that, if they can pressure your mother into bowing her knee to them, then they can use that against you.”

Elsa put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “That won’t happen,” she declared. “ _Jeg står med mitt rike bak meg_ \- I stand with my kingdom behind me. And Erika’s bravery has given me strength. I will not submit to Auradon a second time.”

“The trouble with that, my dear,” Merlin said, adjusting his spectacles, “is that Auradon does not know that. Hear me now- they will try to put a wedge between you and your daughter, in order to weaken you, drive you apart. I do not know how this will happen, but I have seen it. They will look to other sources of help in their side of the fight. Dangerous men, in dangerous times, will become ever more dangerous. Be on your guard, both of you. The journey you are about to undertake will be perilous, but Auradon is the greatest peril of all.”

“Journey?” Erika frowned. “Mama, what journey?”

“That is the other reason I brought you up here, snowflake,” Elsa said. Her face looked lined and serious and…and _old_ as she turned to Erika. “This is not going to be easy, but…we’re leaving Arendelle.”

“What?” Erika felt the icy presence of _magisk_ in her arms as she stared at her mother. “Why would we leave Arendelle? The kingdom needs us now more than ever!”

“I know, sweetheart, I know.” Elsa crouched in front of Erika like she had so often when Erika was younger, placing a cool hand on her daughter’s cheek. “That’s why we’re leaving Anna and Kristoff in charge. We have to think not just about what’s best for Arendelle now, but what could happen in the future, too.”

Erika sighed. “You’re right, Mama. Um, where are we going?”

A hint of a smile flashed on Elsa’s lips. “Auradon, of course.”

* * *

“Elsa, I think this is the most spectacularly stupid idea you’ve ever had,” Anna declared, her arms crossed.

“You never were one to shy away from telling me what you think,” Elsa replied, stepping into her sturdy leather travelling boots.

“Seriously, though, you think you can infiltrate _Auradon,_ of all places? Did we switch brains or something? Because that’s the kind of recklessness I usually come up with, not you.”

“Anna, you know what could happen if I don’t do this.” Elsa, taller in her heeled boots, looked more imposing than usual. “I will not risk my daughter’s safety- my kingdom’s safety- by staying locked away in this castle.”

“Elsa,” Anna said gently, “you’re risking Erika’s safety already by taking her into Auradon.”

“I’m not afraid of Auradon!” Erika jumped up from where she had been stuffing her feet into her own boots. “I’ve already proven that I can stand up to them. I have no problem doing it again.”

“Neither of us are powerless, Anna.” Elsa tightened the end of her long braid before throwing it over her shoulder. “And I’m leaving the kingdom in two sets of very capable hands.”

“One set,” Anna answered immediately. “I’m coming with you.”

“Anna, no-“

“You really can’t stop me,” Anna said, grabbing her own boots from the closet. “I’m not your little sister anymore, Elsa. And if you can risk being captured and imprisoned for your daughter, well, I can do the same thing for my sons.”

“You’re not going to stop her, Mama,” Erika pointed out. “When _Tante_ Anna gets that look in her eye, the North Mountain couldn’t keep her from doing something.”

Elsa looked as if she was about to protest, but then she sighed. “All right. But no one else is coming. Just the three of us.”

Anna nodded. “Got it. Have the Council approved this?”

“I spoke to the Council Head before I took Erika to the refuge,” Elsa answered. “He cleared it, and he’s going to tell the rest of the Council tomorrow.” She cocked her head. “You’d better tell Kristoff and the boys you’re leaving.”

Anna hurried out of the room at that, one boot on and the other in her hand.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a whirlwind of packing and getting ready. Erika decided it would be a good idea to bring Sindri along, in case something went wrong and they needed to get a message to Arendelle. She got her mother’s permission, and hurried to her room to fetch the little bear.

She looked around at the surroundings that were just starting to seem familiar again. “It feels like I just got back,” she said aloud, cupping her hands and lifting Sindri from inside her pile of pillows. The tiny bear yawned, stretching each of his legs and then his wings one at a time. “Now I’m about to leave again.”

Sindri fluttered his wings a few times, then flew up and perched on the shoulder of her hoodie, winding his paws in her hair. She smiled, then turned and hurried out of the room before she could get too emotional.

_Magisk_ came rushing up from her chest to settle just beneath the spot where Sindri sat, sending a delicious chill shivering through Erika’s body. _I will be with you,_ it reminded her. _If something happens, I will protect you._

_You always do,_ Erika answered it. _I’m not afraid._

_Magisk_ thrummed through her head. _Brave girl._

_Hero princess,_ Erika thought back, a slight smile on her face as she remembered the name her people had given her. _Time to be a hero again, I guess._

She pushed open the large wooden doors and entered the courtyard, expecting to see Anna and Elsa waiting for her. She did see them, but she also saw a fairly large crowd of citizens, as well as a few scattered trolls.

“Are we doing another one of those goodbye things?” she asked her mother.

Elsa nodded. “It would seem so. As long as this doesn’t get back to Auradon somehow, it’s all right with me.”

Erika flew through the crowd, saying goodbye to everyone she could and saying a special farewell to those she was close with, including Olaf, Grand Pabbie, Mattias, Halina, Brynja, Kelda, Eydis, and Lifa and her fiancé, Koli. She was breathless and slightly saddened when she finally got back around to the palace steps.

“Are we ready to go?” Elsa asked.

“No, you’re not,” Kristoff said, coming up behind them. He held Sven’s reins in one hand. The reindeer was fully harnessed to his prized sled. “Take Sven. Please.”

“Kristoff, no,” Elsa protested. “I can’t do that. What if you need to get somewhere fast?”

Kristoff shrugged. “I’m more used to walking than any of you,” he pointed out. “I was raised in the mountains, remember?” He turned to Sven, a sad smile crossing his face as the reindeer licked him. “I’ll miss you, buddy. Don’t let anything happen to them.”

Anna pressed a kiss to her husband’s cheek. “We’ll be back before you know it,” she promised him, wiping away tears. “Take care of our boys.”

Kristoff nodded, wrapping her in a hug. “Arendelle’s safe with me.”

“I know it is,” Elsa replied, stepping into the sleigh and helping Anna up beside her. Erika clambered into the backseat, untangling Sindri from her shoulder and setting him in the top of her boot.

Waves and cries of good luck followed them as Elsa flicked the reins, steering Sven out the open gate and towards the mountains. Erika watched until she couldn’t see people anymore, and then she kept watching until finally the castle itself was swallowed by the horizon.

“Mama?” she said.

“Hmm?”

“What are we going to _do_ in Auradon? Are we going to try to take Ben hostage or something? Because Uma tried that, and it really didn’t work.”

“Of course not, snowflake,” Elsa replied. “We’re going to steal Fairy Godmother’s magic wand.”


	9. Against Armies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika, Elsa and Anna grow ever closer to Auradon and the magic wand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! 
> 
> This is, naturally, late. What is it with me and not updating when I say I will?
> 
> This chapter has less of a serious tone than most of the story will, I don’t know why. It ended up being one of the most fun ones to date. 
> 
> The next chapter, however, is going to be very interesting. It’s going to be half as long as usual, because I’m breaking from my pattern and doing a second chapter from Ben’s point of view. The reason for this is that my epilogue, instead of being from another character’s point of view, is going to stick with Erika, so I thought I’d pop in another POV switch here. I don’t want to make you guys wait a whole week for that, so I’m going to post it sometime around Saturday.

Erika almost choked. “We’re going to _what?_ ”

“Steal the magic wand,” Elsa repeated.

“Mama, _Mal_ tried to do that and she failed. Then Uma tried to do it, and she failed, too. Why are we trying? Don’t you think Auradon would…you know, kind of expect us to do that?”

“That’s the beauty of it,” Elsa replied. “You two are princesses, and I’m the queen. Auradon would never expect the three of us to try and steal the wand. They’ll have protected it from regular thieves-“ she held up one hand, snow bubbling in her palm- “but not against this.”

Erika leaned back against the side of the sled. “Isn’t there a force field around it?”

“Yes,” her mother answered. “It works on the same principle as the Isle barrier, just backwards. The barrier takes away any magic inside it, but not outside it. The force field is immune to magic from an outside force, but not an inside one.”

“How does that help?”

“Oh, it doesn’t. It’s just one more obstacle we’ll have to face. However…” an almost devious smirk crossed Elsa’s lips. “While the force field may be immune to magic, the security guards may not be. And I’m willing to bet the button that shuts off the alarms isn’t either.”

“So we’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to break through the force field once we’re inside,” Anna finished.

Erika frowned, still doubtful. “Mama, this sounds crazy,” she finally said. “Why do we even need the wand? We have our own magic.”

“All the magic in the world won’t stop Fairy Godmother if Auradon plays their final card and has her send us to the Isle,” Elsa replied. “I’m not going to let that happen, Erika. Whatever it takes. Fairy Godmother can’t send us there if she doesn’t have her wand, and Mal is still too raw and untrained to be able to cast such a powerful spell. And since Beast has outlawed almost all other magic, he has no one else to turn to.”

A thought crossed Erika’s mind. “The magic-wielders- that’s part of the reason you brought them to Arendelle, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Elsa answered. “Well, Merlin, anyway. The others couldn’t do it- the Isle is unique like that. Its barrier is pure magic, so the only way to get someone inside is to use a spell. Even a wish from Genie couldn’t do it. But Merlin is a wizard, a spellcaster. If we got the wand, and he was still in Auradon, Beast wouldn’t hesitate to have him use his magic. I’ve been anticipating this clash of kingdoms for quite a while now, Erika. You were the stone that made the ripples in the pond.”

Erika smiled. “So what are we going to do with the wand once we have it?”

“That’s the tricky part,” Elsa said. “Auradon will expect us to use it against them. We’re going to do absolutely nothing with it, which they won’t understand. We just have to make sure they can’t use it against us.”

Erika sighed. “I’m…I’m scared, Mama. What if something goes wrong? What if Auradon catches us? They could take us to the Isle manually. Or they could just use the wand, if we don’t get to it in time.”

Elsa pulled on the reins, drawing Sven to a stop. “Anna, take over.” She jumped down from the sled and climbed into the back, wrapping an arm around Erika’s shoulders. Erika leaned into her, the cold chill coming from her mother helping to calm her down.

“Why are you so focused on the Isle, snowflake?” Elsa questioned softly.

Erika gently plucked Sindri from her boot and cradled him in her palm. “I don’t know. I guess, with all this talk about Auradon, I can’t get what they think of us out of my head. They think we’re villains. And villains go to the Isle.” She looked up. “Mama, there’s no magic there. If they threw us through that barrier- we can’t survive without our magic. We’d die, Mama. Auradon would kill us if they caught us.”

“Oh, snowflake…” Elsa pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter’s head. “For one thing, there’s a process that would have to be done first. We’re royalty, whether they like it or not. If they tried to sentence us to the Isle immediately, Arendelle would go to war.”

“Auradon’s not scared of Arendelle,” Erika muttered. “They mock it, call it a little hill country.”

To her surprise, Elsa laughed. “Is that so? Well, they don’t seem to realize that our “little hills” are actually some of the steepest, most dangerous mountains in the world.”

“What they said they’d do if we didn’t give in to them…” Erika shuddered. “It’s like they want to capture Arendelle. The tribute, the soldiers…it’d be awful. And our people don’t have magic! How could they fight back?”

“For one thing, there’s still the trolls,” Elsa replied. “Their magic is powerful, as old and deep as the fjord. If they really needed to, they could protect Arendelle for a while. And for another thing, our people may not have magic, but they are not helpless.” She locked eyes with Erika. “Arendelle’s people are descended from _Vikings._ If they need to fight, they will, as sure as the sea.”

“But it wouldn’t be enough. Auradon would still overrun them eventually. I just...I hate the thought of our people becoming Beast’s subjects by force like that. Arendelle has a spirit of its own. I don’t want to see Auradon crush that.”

“So many worries.” Elsa patted Sindri’s head, making the little bear churr happily. “Too many worries for such a young girl. Let me do the worrying, hmm? Your mind shouldn’t carry the weight of all those concerns.”

Erika smiled. “All right, Mama. But I’m not really that young anymore.”

Elsa laughed. “Well, you’re young to an old woman like me.”

“You aren’t old!” Erika protested.

Elsa’s blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and she pressed a finger to her lips before answering. “I’m certainly not a little girl throwing _snowballs_ anymore.” She formed a sphere of snow in her hand as she spoke and hurled it at the back of Anna’s head.

“ _Au!_ ” Anna yelped. She pulled Sven to a stop and whirled around. “Which one of you did that?”

“Erika,” Elsa replied.

“Mama!”

“Oh, it was Erika.” Anna nodded. “Here, make a snowdrift, Elsa. I need to get my revenge.”

Elsa obliged, creating a pile of snow next to Anna. Glaring at Erika, Anna patted a snowball into shape and then hurled it.

The snowball hit Elsa directly in the face.

Cackling, Anna started making another snowball. “Take that, sister!”

Elsa jumped over the side of the sled, made her own missile, and prepared to throw it at Anna. Erika conjured up a snowball and tossed it, hitting her mother in the ear.

“That’s it! Snowball fight!” Anna crowed. She and Erika leapt out of the sled, Erika making a few more snowdrifts so that her aunt wasn’t completely defenseless. She regretted that a moment later when Anna’s next projectile struck the back of her head.

The woods echoed with shouts and squeals as the three royals played like children, hurling snowballs at each other. There were no teams or rules- each of them simply threw snowballs at whoever they wanted, with varying degrees of success. Anna was more accurate with hers, but Erika and Elsa were faster, since they could simply create snowballs while Anna had to make them. Sindri tried to help Erika by distracting Anna and Elsa, flying in their faces and pulling on their hair. It worked for a little while, but Elsa managed to conjure a snowball around the little bear, putting a stop to it. Erika had to admit, her bear looked pretty funny with only his wingtips, paws and face poking out of a ball of snow. The indignant look on Sindri’s face matched Erika’s when her mother hit her in the head with another snowball.

All of them wound up covered in snow. Snow was everywhere- covering the trees, the ground, on their clothes…some even made its way down the back of Erika’s hoodie and into her boots. It felt good, both to feel the cold against her skin and to let her tension out.

When they finally stopped, out of breath and laughing, Anna had been the definite loser, but there was no clear winner between Erika and Elsa. Anna placed a hand on her chest, gasping.

“I think that was the most fun I’ve had in years,” she panted.

Elsa giggled. “You have so much snow in your hair it looks like you’re graying!”

“You were _born_ looking like you’re graying,” Anna tossed back.

“Hey!” Elsa ran a hand over her whitish hair. “My hair’s darker than Erika’s, and she doesn’t look like she’s going gray.”

“She looks like she already has,” Anna joked.

“Now that’s just cruel,” Erika replied from where she was checking Sindri over. “I’m the youngest out of all of us. Except for Sindri.”

“Well, I’m clearly the youngest in spirit,” Anna answered, dumping snow out of her boot. “And the bear doesn’t count.”

Erika gasped dramatically. “Don’t listen to mean old _Tante_ Anna, sweetheart,” she cooed to Sindri. “Her age is making her crotchety. Soon enough she’ll be sitting in a rocking chair all day muttering about what it was like “back in the day.””

Elsa snorted, while Anna looked offended. “If any of us does that, it’ll be Elsa for sure.”

“By what logic?” Elsa demanded.

“You’re the oldest, and Papa always said you were mature for your age.”

“Hey, being isolated in a room for years would make anyone mature! Besides, weren’t you the one who was always labeled as _im_ mature?”

“Your age has affected your memory,” Anna announced.

“No, I distinctly remember you trying to ride our bike down the staircase.”

Anna gaped. “How did you even know about that?”

“The servants told me,” Elsa said smugly. “They loved telling me all the shenanigans you got up to.”

“Well, it was boring without you!” Anna shook snow out of her hair. “What was I supposed to do but try daring stunts?”

“More like _stupid_ stunts.”

“Okay, okay!” Erika tossed Sindri up, and the little bear flapped in circles around her head. “Listening to you banter is entertaining, but we do have a wand to steal.”

Anna nodded gravely. “See, Elsa? You’re influencing your daughter. Now she’s being the mature one.”

Elsa shook her head. “You always get in the last word.”

Anna grinned. “Of course.”

The three of them clambered back in the sled, a few more joking insults and remarks being thrown around as they did. Erika and Elsa cleaned up the snow with a few gestures (and a few more snowballs tossed in Anna’s direction), leaving no trace that they had been there.

“Aren’t we still in Arendelle?” Erika asked. “Why do we need to cover our tracks?”

“Just to get in the habit,” Elsa replied. “And as a precaution. Just in case.” The mirth disappeared from her eyes. “I feel…on edge. Like there’s something about to happen, something I should know about, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“You can conjure ice, Elsa. You can’t tell the future.” Anna put a hand on her sister’s arm. “All of us should just stop worrying. Until we get out of Arendelle, at least, we should try to enjoy this trip.”

“We’re on an infiltration mission to steal the most powerful object in our greatest enemy’s entire kingdom,” Elsa said. “This isn’t really a peaceful joyride.”

“Well, most infiltration missions don’t take a break for a snowball fight in the woods,” Erika pointed out. “It may not be peaceful, but it hasn’t been completely serious so far, either.”

Elsa leaned her head back. “I don’t know why I’m so twitchy. One minute I’m playing and joking with you two, and then the next I’m pointing out the reasons we should take this seriously. It’s like I’m unbalanced.”

“I know the feeling,” Erika whispered, half to herself, as the sled rattled on towards Auradon.


	10. Against Winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben makes a deal and learns a little more about the situation in Arendelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we go with another Ben POV chapter! This one’s a little shorter than the usual chapters, but longer than the prologue. 
> 
> Since I know it’s going to drive you guys crazy not knowing who this mystery man is, I’ll be revealing his identity next chapter! Until then, feel free to make your best guess.

Ben’s back was against the wall, both figuratively and literally. He shifted his stance, sighing as his father’s voice floated through the stone wall behind him.

_What else can they possibly be talking about? The deal is done. All I have to do is agree to it. Why are they taking so long?_

He might have the title of king, but Ben knew his father was the real power behind the throne. It felt uncomfortable, sometimes, but Beast had been king a lot longer than him. He knew what was best for Auradon.

That was why Ben had made up his mind to go along with Beast’s ridiculous plan.

Except, as he had listened, it seemed less ridiculous. The more he looked at his father’s face, and the face of the man sitting across from them, the more they seemed to match. Both had a hardness in their eyes that spoke of a resolve, a determination to get what they wanted. Both had a steely tone in their voices when they discussed the particulars of their plan.

The man hadn’t spoken much, actually, beyond asking Beast for a clarifying detail or two when they went over the plan. His voice had been casual, calm, as if they weren’t talking over how best to capture Elsa and Erika.

Ben shifted his feet again. That was the only time the man’s disinterested mask had slipped- when Beast mentioned Erika’s name. His eyes had widened just slightly. “Erika? Who is Erika?”

“Elsa’s rebel of a daughter,” Beast had answered, his lip curling. “A defiant little snip, so obsessed with her own freedom that she cares nothing for the safety of her kingdom or mine.”

The man at the table hadn’t really been listening. He leaned back, a strange little smile dancing around his lips. “So,” he said, almost to himself, “the snow queen has an heir. That, my friend, is not good for Auradon.”

That was the point where Ben had excused himself. The whole conversation had felt like it was between Beast and the other man, anyway. He had felt uncomfortably unneeded throughout the whole thing.

 _What’s best for Auradon,_ his mind reminded him. _That’s all you need to worry about._

It just- this whole business felt wrong. He felt like a criminal, skulking in the shadows and making underhanded deals with the wrong kind of people. One of the first things he had learned was that a king’s actions should be public and open for the whole kingdom to see.

Except, he remembered, in wartime.

“But we’re not _in_ a war yet,” he whispered. “This…this isn’t right.”

“No, it’s not,” a voice said from over his shoulder, making him jump. “But sometimes, the right thing isn’t what’s best for a kingdom.”

Ben turned. Beast and the other man had apparently finished talking, since they were standing behind him.

“And how would you know?” he asked the stranger. “You never ruled a kingdom.”

Just for a second, something ugly flashed in the man’s green eyes. “No, I never did,” he agreed, his tone still silky. “But trust me. Sometimes, all you can do is something that isn’t quite right. Believe me, King Ben, there are hundreds of stories of men who became heroes because they were willing to step over lines.”

“So,” Beast broke in, “do we have a deal?”

The man and Ben stared into each other’s eyes for a moment more. “Yes,” Ben said finally. “We do.”

But something twisted inside him as he said it.

* * *

Ben was relieved to get out into the sun again, even if it was still chilly outside. The darkness underground had made him feel jumpy. He stood on the docks as a large ship lowered its gangplank.

A flash of purple alerted him to Mal’s presence. She flew down the ramp, completely ignoring the guards that were supposed to escort her down, and flung herself into his arms. “Ben! I missed you so much!”

He spun her around once before setting her down, his mood brightening in an instant. “You were only gone for a week, but it felt like forever! How was Arendelle?”

“Cold,” Mal answered. “And I don’t just mean temperature-wise. Everyone there gave me the cold shoulder.” Her eyes hardened. “I saw Erika.”

“Has she changed?” Ben asked.

Mal ran her hands through her hair. “She looks different. Maybe because she’s dressing out of history books. But she looked…like she’d gotten everything she ever wanted. Satisfied, maybe even happy.” She huffed. “She definitely doesn’t regret what she’s done.”

 _Everything she ever wanted._ Ben thought that over. Perhaps Erika’s outburst had been born out of a homesickness that had gotten too strong? Had he labeled her a villain unfairly?

But the image of her as he had last seen her didn’t portray a homesick student lashing out because she missed her family. Ben flinched a little as he recalled the vengeful, angered blue eyes that had flashed at him through a whirling cloud of snow, the hate-filled words she had screamed at him as he begged her to stop the storm. _“You should never have trusted me!”_

Besides, her ice had turned black. That was a pretty clear sign that Erika had turned her back on good.

But maybe her mother was different.

“What about Elsa?” he asked hopefully.

Mal snorted. “She was worse. She wouldn’t speak the Auradon language. Erika had to act as translator. Her council, I could understand. But I know Elsa used to be able to speak our language.”

“That’s true,” Ben answered, remembering the quiet, graceful woman he’d seen once when he was little, when she signed the official document that made Arendelle part of Auradon. “But after…after she had Erika, she stopped coming to Auradon altogether. Maybe she forgot it.”

Mal made a sound that meant she very much doubted that.

“How’d they take the letter?” Ben questioned. He’d asked his father to write it, not sure he could be as convincing as Beast usually could.

Mal plopped down on a nearby barrel. “Not so good. Elsa called your dad two-faced when I read it. And then her sister- boy, is she a hothead!- ripped it up.”

Ben felt his eyebrows go up. “ _Anna_ tore up Dad’s letter?”

“Snatched it right out of my hand and ripped it to confetti,” Mal confirmed. “She said that Elsa destroyed the last document from Beast, and that it was her turn. Then Elsa kicked me out.”

“On the whole, it didn’t go very well,” Ben summed up, sighing. “I’d…I’d hoped Elsa would be able to see reason. Then I could tell dad to call off his plan.”

“What plan?”

Ben blew out his breath and sat down next to her, telling Mal every detail of what had happened. She was silent until he finished.

“Wow. I mean, that’s dramatic even for your dad. That’s…that’s almost something my mom would call evil.”

“I don’t think it’s evil,” Ben said. “Just…wrong in some way. A couple of ways, actually.”

Mal snorted again. “Trust me, Ben. I know a lot about these kinds of people. I ruled the Isle, remember? I’ve run into the worst types. And the guy your dad just hired? He’s one of the worst types.”

“He didn’t seem too intimidating,” Ben began.

“He doesn’t have to,” Mal cut in. “I know his kind. They’re snakes. Manipulative, cunning, sly…pick your word. They’ll blindside you, get you to agree to what they want while you think you’re getting the better end of the deal.” She frowned. “And this one? I wouldn’t trust him with a butter knife in a dark room. Tell your dad to watch his back.”

“Then should I tell Dad that I’m not doing this?” Ben asked. “It seems too extreme.”

To his surprise, Mal shook her head. “No, your dad’s right. This is the only way to get Elsa and Erika to the Isle. And they’re Auradon’s biggest threats right now- even Uma takes a backseat when held up to those two.” She narrowed her eyes. “Just tell me what he’s asking in return for bringing them back.”

“The usual,” Ben said wearily. “And one other thing.”

“What?” Mal asked. “These kinds of people will twist any condition they give until they’ve got you backed into a corner.”

“I don’t think he can twist this one,” Ben answered. “He’s bringing someone else along.”


	11. Against Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa find themselves plagued by visions of the past as they leave Arendelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, our mystery man is revealed! 
> 
> I’m actually not going to say anything else, because we’ve been waiting for this for SO LONG! But next chapter, I do have one thing I need to address. But that can wait! On to the reveal!

Erika picked her head up from where she’d let it slump onto her knees. “Mama?” she asked, yawning. “Why are we stopping?”

Elsa sighed, an odd, distant look on her face. “We’re on the edge of Arendelle,” she answered. “I haven’t left our kingdom since I signed away its freedom.”

“Well,” Anna said, shoving her auburn hair back behind her shoulder, “now you’re leaving it to protect that freedom.”

Erika looked around, frowning. The pine forests hadn’t changed for miles. Besides being just a little warmer, it looked exactly like Arendelle. “Where are we, Mama?”

“We’re about to enter Sherwood Forest,” Elsa answered. “From there, we’ll be in Camelot.”

“Is Camelot safe?” Anna asked.

“It’s safer than most of the other kingdoms,” Elsa told her, “but it still has its dangers. It is the fastest route, though, and we don’t have much time. The good news is, we’ll be traveling through forest the whole way. There’ll be less risk of us being spotted until we get to Auradon.” She frowned. “I still feel on edge. My magic- it feels like it’s warning me.”

“ _Magisk_ hasn’t done that,” Erika said. “Can your magic feel something mine can’t?”

“It isn’t like that,” Elsa replied. “Magic remembers. Mine right now…it feels like there’s a ghost looking over my shoulder. I feel like I’m about to face something I’ve faced before.”

“Beast?” Anna suggested.

Elsa shrugged. “It’s possible.” She fell silent, her eyes gazing between the trees as if lost in memories.

Anna flicked the reins, sending Sven forward at a trot. The three of them sat watching the scenery go by quietly. No one felt much like talking.

Elsa suddenly put up her hand, and Anna pulled the reins. Before the sled had even stopped fully, Elsa jumped out, bending down beside one of the trees.

“Mama?” Erika started to say. “What-“

Elsa turned, holding up a rusted arrow. “There’s the proof,” she said. “We’re in Sherwood Forest. We’re in Camelot.” She dropped the arrow, wiping her hands. “Be careful, both of you. Camelot has accepted even less of Auradon’s technology than we have. They still live in the past, essentially. We don’t know who could be in these forests.”

The trees finally started to change as they moved on, now quiet simply out of necessity. Instead of only pines, now oaks and maples started to appear, first dotted through the pine trees, then slowly swallowing them until the thick northern forests turned to warmer deciduous woods. Erika flinched at the sight of the bare trees, remembering the one she and Mollie had stripped of its leaves back at Auradon Prep. _Why am I remembering that?_

“Mama,” she said softly, “I’m remembering the past, too.”

Elsa nodded. “I thought I saw Beast back there. I think it’s the heat combined with how on edge we all are- we’re probably going to see and hear, or think we see and hear, visions of the past until our bodies adjust to the hotter environment.”

“Good thing I’m driving,” Anna joked in a hushed voice.

Erika sighed, settling in. She did feel uncomfortably warm- even though it was late fall in Camelot, it was still too hot for her and her mother. Only in Auradon’s deepest winters did they feel truly comfortable without layers of ice.

Her mother’s words proved to be right. Erika cried out once, seeing Beast appear between two oaks, only for him to fade back into a stump when she blinked. Elsa sucked in her breath and turned away, telling them that she saw the Duke of Weselton’s men.

“I hate this,” Erika whispered, averting her eyes from a vision of Audrey. “When will it stop, Mama?”

Elsa nimbly stepped over the back of the sled seat and sat down next to her, slipping an arm over her shoulders. “It shouldn’t be long now,” she said.

Erika desperately fought covering her ears as she heard Fairy Godmother’s sugary voice. “Put on the gloves, dear. I’m not asking too much, am I?”

“You asked everything of me,” Erika breathed.

The voice changed to Ben’s. “Erika, you don’t have to do this!” the vision pleaded. “You’re a good girl!”

“Not as good as you think I am,” Erika hissed back. It seemed to work if she rebuffed the vision’s accusations.

“Mama,” she said. “Mama, tell them they’re lying, and they go away.”

Elsa flashed her a strained smile. The next second, she gasped and drew her legs up, her face going gray.

“Elsa, what is it?” Anna demanded, half turning around to see into the back of the sled.

“Keep driving, Anna,” Elsa said between clenched teeth. “It’s…it’s just another nightmare.” She ran her hands up and down her arms.

Anna gave her sister a sympathetic smile and turned back around. A second later, her stunned, terrified voice rang out. “I see it, too!”

“That’s impossible!” Erika cried, jumping up and looking past Anna. “You…you don’t have magic.” She clutched her mother’s arm as a figure appeared in front of the sled. 

“Get behind me, both of you!” In all her life, Erika had never heard her mother’s voice sound like that. Angry and terrified and determined, all at once.

Elsa hurled herself over the side of the sleigh and shot a stream of ice at the specter.

A wicked laugh rang out as the phantom easily sidestepped it, drawing a gleaming sword from its sheath.

“Mama, you can’t fight it,” Erika said urgently. “It’s just a ghost.”

“Not this one,” Elsa replied grimly. “This is no ghost.”

The three of them nearly fell out of the sled, all three of them taking battle stances. “Show yourself!” Elsa demanded.

With a laugh on his lips, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles stepped fully into the light, sword held at the ready. “Hello, Princess Anna of Arendelle.”

Anna growled low in her throat. “Hans.” She flung the word from her tongue.

Hans gave a courtly bow, mockery dancing in his eyes. His gaze flicked to Elsa. “Ah,” he said. “The Snow Queen herself.”

And then he turned to Erika. “And the monster princess. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Elsa hurled a deadly-sharp icicle at his chest, and he barely dodged it. “Don’t you _dare_ call her that!” she shouted.

“Why not?” Hans laughed, a venomous, cruel sound. “Is that not what she is? A girl who freezes a school simply because she gets a bit too angry. Mm, sounds like a monster to me.”

He drew closer, and Elsa threw out her arm, her fingertips poised like a blade, ice ready to leap from them. “You called my daughter a monster,” she snarled. “You chained me in a dungeon. You tried to kill me. You left my sister to die of a frozen heart!” Another razor-sharp icicle began to form on her palm. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t freeze you in your tracks.”

“I can give you more than one,” Hans answered easily, mockingly counting off on his fingers. “First, I chained you in that dungeon for the good of your kingdom, which you would have destroyed. Second, I honestly thought that killing you was the only way to stop the winter. Third, you were the one who froze your sister’s heart. All I did was refuse to thaw it.”

Elsa narrowed her eyes. “At the end of the day, you would have killed us both and taken the throne.” Her icicle had become the blade of a sword on her arm, and as Hans approached, she set its razor tip against his throat.

For just an instant, the prince’s eyes widened. Then he laughed again.

Erika clenched her fists, wanting him to _stop laughing._

“Now, now, Elsa,” Hans said, speaking as if to a child. “Don’t be reckless. You, after all, still have some measure of innocence. You wouldn’t want to get yourself labeled a monster, like your daughter, now would you?”

Elsa gritted her teeth. A bead of red appeared on Hans’ neck. “If you value your life, you will stop referring to Erika as a monster,” she hissed.

“Wait, Elsa.” Anna stepped forward. “There’s something wrong here.” She met Hans’ gaze. “Why are you here? _How_ are you here? You’re supposed to be trapped on the Isle.”

“Well, that’s the funny thing,” Hans answered. “See, with Elsa and Erika official villains-“

Erika gasped. _No! It was me who froze the school, not Mama!_

Hans shot a cruel smile her way and turned back to Anna. “-the story has to change a little. Now, we can’t have the heroine- that would be you- rescuing the villain, which would be Elsa. So now, we have the villain’s misguided sister, who our hero- me- was forced to leave to freeze, in order to save the kingdom.” He sighed dramatically. “Of course, the poor, deluded girl escapes, and stops the brave hero from slaying the monster plaguing the kingdom. It ends rather sadly, I’m afraid. But don’t worry. There’s a second part. And it starts-“ he gestured to Erika with his sword- “with the monster, who had come to her senses briefly and joined a bigger kingdom, only to reject it; and her daughter, more of a monster than her mother ever was.”

Elsa let out a war cry and charged, tiny, sharp icicle darts flying from both hands. Hans deflected most of them, but a few found their marks, making the prince grimace. Elsa backed him up against a tree, her ice blade ready to slit his throat.

“Wait,” Hans said, still smiling. “Don’t you want to know how the story’s going to end?”

Elsa tightened her fists, but let him go. Hans smirked. “It’s going to end with the hero finally putting the monster and her mother in a cage. It’s going to end with our selfless hero placing the misguided sister and her oafish husband on the throne. It’s going to end with the hero earning his freedom from the prison he had been unfairly trapped in.”

Anna growled and leapt forward, driving a fist into Hans’ stomach. “I don’t know why you thought that would help,” she spat. “As far as I’m concerned, Elsa can kill you and I won’t so much as blink.”

“Rather extreme, isn’t it?” Hans asked.

“Drop the sword, or lose your head,” Elsa commanded him.

Hans shrugged and let his weapon fall to the ground.

Elsa instantly sent a stream of ice against him, freezing him to the tree. “Erika, when we leave, could you permafrost this?” she asked, her voice cold.

“Permafrost,” Hans said, his smile still dancing on his face. “Ah, so your daughter’s got powers you don’t. I wonder-“

“If you finish that sentence, I will cut your throat,” Elsa snarled.

“All right, all right.” Hans laughed again. “Keeping secrets, I see. I suppose now would be a bad time to mention that I’ve brought someone else along?”

“Who?” Anna asked.

“Well, honestly, Anna, I didn’t expect you to even be here, so you’re somewhat the wild card,” he replied. “But I was expecting the Snow Queen and her daughter, so…”

Erika whirled at the snap of a branch, expecting a warrior, a bounty hunter, perhaps even Ben.

She was not at all expecting a slim, red-headed boy with an expression on his face that suggested he was annoyed by Hans’ theatrics.

“We’ve been following them all day, and you only just now got yourself frozen to a tree?” he said dryly. “I’m impressed.”

“Shut up, Hunter,” Hans ordered, abruptly dropping his smooth, princely persona.

Elsa turned, leveling her ice blade at the newcomer. He raised his hands in surrender, stepped backwards, and tripped over a rock.

“I’m disappointed,” Elsa said flatly. “Is this the best Auradon could send?”

“Actually, we were supposed to infiltrate Arendelle,” Hunter said. “We weren’t even supposed to run into you.”

“Shut up,” Hans hissed again.

“Did Auradon actually send you?” Anna asked.

Hunter, who seemed completely willing to tell them everything, nodded. “Dad’s been meeting with Beast to go over how he’s going to capture Elsa- er, Queen Elsa, and Erika. No, Princess Erika.”

“ _Dad?”_ Erika gasped.

Hunter sighed, standing up. “Yes. Unfortunately, I’m Hans’ son.”


	12. Against Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa decide what to do with Hans and Hunter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this chapter was so much fun! I’ve discovered that I really enjoy writing Hans and Hunter- however, I would like to ask you guys about something. 
> 
> Am I writing Hans too evil? It sorta feels like I am sometimes. I will explore his motives and character a bit in a chapter or two, but in the meantime...is he too heartless, or can I manage to get away with it? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 
> 
> One more thing: the letter I posted about SilverQuill’s use of Erika has, by request of SilverQuill, been taken down. I’m not very upset about it- I’d honestly rather this just be a story instead of devolving into some writer drama, like it has in the past. But just in case any of you were wondering why I deleted it, there it is. Hopefully now I can simply focus on telling Erika’s story.

Elsa stared at Hunter for a moment, then back at Hans. “You have a son? Why hasn’t anyone heard about this?”

Hans smirked. “News from the Isle doesn’t often reach the mainland. As you and your daughter will soon find out.”

“Dad, for heaven’s sake, will you please stop talking like that?” Hunter asked wearily.

Hans glared at his son. “You were _supposed_ to help me once we found them.”

“Well, you sort of forgot to ask me if I even wanted to help,” Hunter shot back. “All you said was “I found a way to get us off this rock, come on.” I never got a say in the matter.” He folded his arms. “I’ve got nothing against Queen Elsa- _or_ Princess Erika, whatever they did to make Auradon so angry, which you also forgot to tell me, by the way. If you hadn’t been an idiot and tried to kill the queen and her sister, we wouldn’t have had to live on the Isle.”

Anger flashed in Hans’ eyes, and Erika got the impression that there was no love lost between Hans and his son. It unnerved her. In all her life, she’d never seen such a strained relationship between a child and a parent.

“Stop talking like that, Hunter,” Hans ordered.

“Like what?”

“Like these two witches are royalty.”

Elsa cut in, thawing her icicle blade with a twitch of her fingers. “You two can settle this later,” she said. “My daughter, sister and I are leaving. Erika, if you would kindly frost Hans to that tree…”

“Don’t worry,” Erika said, stepping closer to Hans. “The people of Camelot will free you once they find you. But this way, you can’t follow us.”

“Hold on,” Anna interrupted. She cocked her head and studied Hans, a thoughtful look on her face. “Why did Auradon send _you?_ ”

“I tracked Elsa down once,” Hans replied easily. “They figured I could do it again.”

Anna shook her head. “No. It’s more than that. They picked you for a reason.” She turned back to Elsa. “Can I say something crazy?”

Elsa shrugged.

“I think we should take them with us.”

Both Elsa and Erika stared at Anna. “That was definitely crazy,” Elsa said finally. “Anna. Think about what you’re saying. This is the man who broke your heart and left you to freeze to death.”

“I know,” Anna said. Her fingers rubbed over her knuckles as if she could still feel her fist landing solidly in Hans’ handsome face. “But there’s something you’re not seeing.” She spread her hands. “He knows that we’re headed to Auradon now. If we just leave him here, the Camelot people will cut him loose eventually. They might send him back to Auradon, but then he’ll be able to warn them we’re coming. We have to take them with us if we want to keep our people safe.”

Elsa looked her sister over carefully. “How do you do that?” she asked at last. “You’re reckless, Anna, but once in a while you pull out something like this.”

Anna grinned.

“Okay,” Elsa continued. “You’re right. We have to take them with us, no matter how risky it is.” She slipped her toe under Hans’ sword and kicked it up in the air, tossing it over to Anna. “Take that. Just in case he tries anything. Erika, help me.”

Elsa stepped over to Hans. “Here’s the deal,” she said coldly. “You’re coming with us, whether you like it or not. And you’re not getting the chance to stab us in the back- figuratively or literally. If you put my daughter and my sister in any danger, whatsoever, I will not hesitate to turn you into an ice sculpture.”

“I’m impressed,” Hans said tauntingly. “You’ve become quite a ruthless ruler. Still willing to use your cold to kill.”

Elsa, however, didn’t rise to the bait. “For my people?” she said, her eyes hard. “Yes. I would kill for them.”

“I tried to do the same thing,” Hans remarked. “Kill for the people of Arendelle.” His eyes held a challenge as he stared Elsa down. “I tried to kill a monster.”

“Try one stupid move,” Elsa told him, “and I _will_ kill a monster.” She moved her fingers and unfroze the prince, grabbing his hands and freezing a band of ice around them. Erika leaned over and blew gently, watching a layer of light blue permafrost form on the makeshift cuffs.

“Once we’ve returned back to the borders of Arendelle, we’ll break those off,” Elsa said.

Hunter stepped forward, holding out his own hands, a question in his eyes. Elsa waved him off. “Arendelle has no quarrel with you. Only your father.”

“Good to know,” Hans said.

Erika watched him as he climbed into the sled, Anna taking the reins and Elsa sitting down across from Hans, ready to freeze him if he tried to do anything. She’d never seen the prince in person, but he went even farther than the stories Elsa and Anna had told her. His eyes- they scared her, if she was being honest with herself. They were hard and sharp, like a sword. His eyes told her that he would do anything to get what he wanted.

She shivered, though not from the cold. She remembered the eyes of the wicked portrait of her mother in her old textbook. Hans’ eyes looked just like that.

But as she met her mother’s gaze, she was reassured once again that Auradon had vastly mispresented her. Elsa’s eyes were hard and cold, yes, but the blue in them showed determination of a different kind. Elsa’s eyes were those of a warrior, ready to protect the ones she loved. Erika had never seen her mother actually fight before, but she was glad to know she could.

 _Magisk,_ she thought, _once we’re back in Arendelle, I’m going to ask Mama to teach me how to fight like that._

 _Magisk_ throbbed over her heart with pleasure. The magic in Erika loved being used for fighting, although it had only gotten a few chances. _Magisk w_ as always ready to protect her, and anything that could help it do that made it surge up to the point where she sometimes had to release it.

 _You’ll be ready, right?_ she asked it. _In case Hans tries something._

 _Magisk_ left her heart and came thrumming to her fingertips so fast it sent a delicious, cold chill through Erika’s whole body. _Always, Erika._

* * *

They kept going, staying out of sight in the trees. No one noticed them- the Camelot woods were too cold now for most of the people, although they had a few close calls. Each time, Elsa gave Hans a warning look, summoning another icicle and holding it ready.

Hans, however, seemed perfectly content. He simply sat in the back of the sled, his green eyes always watching Elsa or Erika. A tiny smile danced around his lips.

That smile worried Erika. From what she had seen and heard, Hans was proud. It was strange that he had been taken prisoner.

 _Maybe I’m just on edge,_ she told herself. _After all, Mama did freeze him to a tree and take away his sword. He couldn’t really try to fight her bare-handed._

But something twisted in her stomach whenever she looked up and saw Hans watching her with that little smile.

After a while, she stopped looking at him entirely, instead focusing on Hunter. He seemed uncomfortable- he had shifted as far away from Hans as he could, staring out at the scenery. Erika wondered what had happened between him and Hans to make them dislike each other so much. Hans, so driven by his own gain, couldn’t have been a very good father. Perhaps Hunter was as sickened by Hans’ cunning and greed as Erika was.

That made her think. She knew there were more kids on the Isle- she’d met a fair share of VKs during her time in Auradon. Some of them- Mal’s friends, and a few more- had been nice, some of the best people she’d talked to there. But some- Mal and a couple others- hadn’t been so friendly. How could they tell which VKs would follow which path?

Erika shifted in her seat, rubbing the sequined sleeves of her hoodie, a habit she hadn’t done much since Auradon. She knew Auradon’s word for her. She wasn’t considered a VK, a villain kid. Erika had skipped straight to being a full-fledged villain to them. She sighed, feeling Sindri’s fuzzy head poke out from her hoodie, and rubbed between his ears with a finger.

“What is that?” Hunter asked suddenly.

Erika looked around for what he was talking about, realizing that he meant Sindri. She coaxed the tiny bear out. “This is Sindri. I made him out of ice a while ago. He’s my…um…” she frowned, wondering what to call him. “ _Snøbjørn?_ ”

Hunter looked confused at the word. “It means snow bear,” Erika explained.

Hunter nodded and held out a hand. Sindri flew to him, circling his hair, then grabbing a strand and pulling. “Ow,” Hunter said.

“He pulls hair,” Erika told him.

Sindri seemed uninterested in Hunter, instead choosing to explore the ice around Hans’ wrists. The tiny bear examined them, then flew closer and bumped his nose into them.

Hans jerked his hands, sending the hard ice into Sindri’s little black nose. The little bear let out a high-pitched yelp of surprise and pain, darting back to Erika and hiding in her hair.

“Dad!” Hunter cried out. “What did you do that for?”

“Anything made by a monster must be a monster itself,” Hans said with a shrug. He said it looking at Elsa, as if daring her to say anything.

Erika pushed a hand into her hair, feeling around until she felt Sindri’s cold fuzz. She had the familiar feeling that she had just been insulted indirectly, the same one she used to get around Audrey. She chose to ignore the uncomfortable sensation in favor of checking Sindri over.

The little bear seemed to like it when Erika twitched a few snowflakes over him. He crept out of his hiding place, and flew boldly up to Hans, roaring in his face. It would have been more impressive if his roar hadn’t sounded like a meowing kitten, but it made Erika, Elsa, and even Hunter laugh. Hans merely scowled.

“All right, Anna, go ahead and turn Sven into that grove,” Elsa called out a few minutes later. “It’s getting too dark to see, and I don’t want us to run into anything.”

Anna clicked her tongue to Sven, and the reindeer obediently turned towards the thick patch of trees.

“Nice,” Elsa said. “Has Kristoff been teaching you to drive Sven?”

“Yep,” Anna replied happily, half turning around in her seat to talk to her sister. “I can drive almost as well as he can now. I won’t let him teach the boys until they’re older, though- I don’t want Arvik and Klaus learning how to careen around corners and jump cliffs quite yet.”

“So you married the ice harvester,” Hans said dryly. “What a catch. I’m sure you’re so proud.”

“Actually, I am,” Anna retorted. “Kristoff is my true love. And, if you say anything mean about him, I’m going to come back there and punch you in the face again.”

Hunter stared at his father. “She punched you in the face?” he asked incredulously.

“ _And_ knocked him off the edge of a boat into the fjord,” Elsa said before Hans could answer. “Anna can throw a punch as hard as anyone back in Arendelle.”

Erika tilted her head back and laughed, enjoying the look of frustration and anger on Hans’ face. For once, his smooth mask had slipped. She felt more at ease as they started to make camp for the night- sure, they had the man who’d attempted to usurp their kingdom with them, but she still felt safe. She found her mother in the gray twilight of the forest. Elsa was alert and on guard, ready for anything.

_Ready or not, Auradon, here we come._


	13. Against Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika learns more about the Isle from Hunter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been so long, sorry guys! 
> 
> I have a deadline for this story now, though...so updates are gonna start coming thick and fast!

They made camp quickly- Elsa determined that it was safe enough to build a fire, and Anna took charge of that. Erika kept an eye on Hans, finding a seat on a tree stump where she could watch him, but where she wouldn’t have to look at his eyes.

“So,” Hunter said, coming up next to her, “what did you do to make Auradon so upset?”

Erika turned to face him. “You really don’t know?”

Hunter shook his head. “My dad forgot to tell me that part.”

Erika sighed, her fingers finding the sequins on her hoodie again. “I’m considered a villain now,” she answered. “I froze Auradon Prep.”

Hunter’s eyebrows went up. “That fancy school they sent Mal and her minions to?”

Erika nodded. “That one. I didn’t fully destroy it, I don’t think- I left it with a snowstorm over it, so I don’t know exactly what I did. But there was a lot of ice. I know it would have taken a while to fix.”

Hunter was quiet for a moment. “Why’d you do it?”

Erika frowned, startled by the question. “What do you mean? Isn’t it enough that I did it?”

“No,” Hunter answered plainly. “You must have had a reason. You’re no Maleficent, destroying things at random.”

Erika twisted a strand of her hair. “I- well, they tried to make me wear gloves,” she said, her hand curling into a fist at the memory. “I had promised Mama that I wouldn’t let them control my powers, and they tried to force me to break that promise at every turn. They made students ignore me, they taught in their textbooks that Mama was a villain, they threatened us with the Isle at every opportunity-“ she broke off. “Sorry.”

Hunter shrugged. “It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about the Isle. I know whose fault it is that I was raised there.” His gaze hardened as he looked across at Hans.

“You and your papa don’t have a good relationship, do you?” Erika said. “You seem to barely tolerate each other.”

“Despite what some might think, being raised by someone obsessed with himself is not easy,” Hunter replied. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs. “Dad’s willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants, and, well, let’s just say he never really wanted a son.” His eyes narrowed. “I used to think about life on the mainland all the time. I mean, I have twelve uncles that I’ve never met, all because my dad tried to usurp your mom’s throne. It’s hard not to resent him for that.” He sighed. “I do love Dad, I know I do. But he’s got a finger in every game on the Isle, and he’s always been scheming and planning to break out. I sort of understand why he did what he did- he was the youngest of thirteen princes. He thought it was his only option. But still- if he’d just won Anna over honestly, instead of trying to turn the whole kingdom against Elsa and then trying to kill them both…” Hunter put his face in his hands. “It’s complicated.”

“It sounds complicated,” Erika agreed. “Maybe Hans did have a sort of reason for trying to kill Mama and _Tante_ Anna. But I’ve got two little cousins, Arvik and Klaus. They’ve got almost no chance of ever becoming the king of Arendelle unless something bad happens to Mama, me, _Onkel_ Kristoff, and _Tante_ Anna. And they’re two of the happiest little boys I’ve ever met. Why does your dad think he needs a throne to be happy?”

“He doesn’t,” Hunter answered. “Not anymore, at least. Now, all he wants is to get off the Isle and get you and your mom to take our place.” His face grew serious. “Auradon won’t settle for anything less. If my dad and I don’t get you to the Isle, they’ll send Mal. Or someone else equally as dangerous. They want you both locked up there so you can’t use your magic.”

Erika rubbed the sequins on her hoodie, the same feeling of nervousness that always came with mentions of the Isle churning in her stomach. “Auradon just doesn’t get it,” she said. “We’re not like other magic-users. We don’t use magic, we _have_ magic. We can’t survive without it. My magic talks to me, in my head. It protects me. I can’t- my body can’t just lose that. My mama and I can’t stand heat.” She pointed across the clearing to where Anna sat by the fire, Elsa staying a few feet away from the flames. “The Isle would kill us. But did Auradon ever stop to think about that?”

“Auradon doesn’t often stop to think about things before they do them,” Hunter said, his voice bitter.

Erika frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The things I saw on the Isle…not everyone there deserves to be there,” he told her. “There are kids there, even some _adults-_ who don’t want to be evil. My best friend, Maira…she’d give everything to get off the Isle. Not all of them dream of going to Auradon Prep. Most just want out. It’s a prison there, Princess. Some of the villains were brought back from the _dead_ just to be tossed onto an island.” He sighed, twisting his hands together. “My dad and I…we would have made history, had Auradon actually _announced_ that they were letting us go. Dad’s the first villain to ever leave the Isle.” He turned suddenly, searching Erika’s face. “If you and your mom get sent there, you’ll make history, too. Auradon rounded up the villains in one fell swoop. There’s never been someone condemned to the Isle from the mainland before.”

Erika sat silent, turning his words over in her mind. “Why are they so desperate to lock us up?” she said finally. “Mama and I don’t _want_ a war. All we wanted was the freedom to be who we are, with no limits on the magic inside us. Why is that such a crime?”

Hunter sighed. “I used to stay near the docks- I wasn’t part of the pirate gangs, but it was the best place to get a little bit of news from the mainland. I remember when one of the ships from Auradon came with supplies, or what passed for them on the Isle. The workers were talking. One of them mentioned how glad he was that all the villains were safely locked up. His friend elbowed him and said something about “the one who got away.” I wasn’t sure what it meant, and I’m still not sure. But…I think it’s possible that Queen Elsa could be the one who got away. Beast told Dad they tried to get her to go to the Isle.”

Erika nodded slowly. “That’s right. She refused…so they made her promise to send me to Auradon Prep.” She smiled slightly. “What, is my mama some kind of evil legend on the Isle? The one who escaped?”

Hunter didn’t smile back. “No,” he said. “Erika, if Auradon tried to put your mom on the Isle and couldn’t…if they send you both to the Isle, it’s not gonna be just the loss of magic that kills you. The villains will. They won’t care if Elsa’s evil or not- they’ll kill her. Maybe you, too.”

“Why?” Erika gasped.

Hunter shook his head, frustration on his face. “A lot of people there- Dad included- are really self-centered. They expect others to be, too. In their minds, they’ll think that Elsa probably sees herself as better than them because she managed to dodge the Isle before. They’ll kill her for that…and for being lucky enough to escape Auradon’s anger before.”

“Just for that?” Erika tightened her fists. “Just on a suspicion and a chance?”

Hunter gave her a sympathetic glance. “On the Isle of the Lost? Anything can be a death sentence.”

* * *

Erika should have known her mother would notice her distress. Almost like _magisk,_ Elsa seemed to be able to sense her daughter’s emotions. After Anna had volunteered to stay up and watch Hans for a while, Erika and Elsa sat alone near the dying fire.

“What is it?” Elsa prompted gently.

Erika sighed. “I just…I’m scared. Of the Isle, of Auradon, of Hans…I shouldn’t feel like this, I have my powers and _magisk_ to protect me. But what about the rest of Arendelle? What happens if we lose?”

Elsa wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close. “Then we have Anna,” she said. “Anna and Kristoff will rule as Queen and Prince Consort if Auradon manages to capture us.”

“And what about the Isle?” Erika whispered. “We…we can’t survive it.” She told her mother about Hunter’s warning, reaching up and rubbing her sleeve again.

Elsa ran her fingers through the end of her braid. “We’ll worry about that if it comes to it. I have a few cards I haven’t played in this game between kingdoms.” She flashed her daughter a smile. “We’re safe, for now. Worry about the Isle later.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Erika asked incredulously. “Of what could happen, of what…of what they might do to you?”

Elsa smiled. “Of course I’m afraid, Erika. You don’t know what it was like while you were away in Auradon- I was a nervous wreck, so terrified of what they were doing to you, to your mind…but I didn’t show it. Anna and Kristoff can both attest to that. I’m the queen, Erika. I’m not allowed to be afraid, on the outside. If I am, then it could spread panic among the people.” She sighed. “There are rules for royalty, snowflake, and even I can’t break them all.”

“There’s no one here,” Erika answered. “You can…oh.” Her gaze traveled over to Hans.

Another smile crossed Elsa’s face, but this one was more sad. “You’re learning. Hans is a manipulator, able to prey on weaknesses in a way I’ve never seen. If he knows I’m afraid of him and Auradon, he will use that, and that’s something we can’t afford right now.”

Erika leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder, finally dropping her hand from her sleeve. She felt Sindri poke his nose out from her hair and patted her thigh, watching as the little bear flew down to curl up on her lap. She felt more relieved now, but his wings still flickered with yellow.

 _Magisk,_ she whispered into her mind.

It came up more gently than it usually did, sensing her insecurity. _I am here._

_You protect me, right?_

_Magisk_ threw itself against her chest in answer, and she felt the beginnings of icicles on her fingertips. _Of course. When you sense danger, I am ready. If it is Hans you are worried about, I will stay alert and ready for him to make a move._

 _It isn’t Hans,_ Erika said. _It’s this whole situation. I feel like Auradon has us trapped. I…I feel as if they’re using us, somehow. To reinforce their own power. Ugh, they find a way to twist any situation for their own gain. If we fail, no other kingdom will dare rise up against them. They’ll see Arendelle as an example of what happens when Auradon is challenged._

 _But if you win, they will see Arendelle as an example of what even one kingdom that dares to rebel can do._ Erika felt her magic drop, shivering down her arms and curling up in the palms of her hands. _Auradon will know that they are not all-powerful. Perhaps more kingdoms will secede from them._ It twisted over her wrist with a vicious delight. _Perhaps Auradon will crumble._

 _I don’t want that,_ Erika replied, closing her eyes. _I just want my kingdom to have its freedom. If other kingdoms want that, too, then that’s their business. I just…all I want is for our people to be safe, and for Mama and I to use our magic freely._ She straightened, a thought occurring to her. _Magisk?_

_Yes?_

_If you need to…if something goes wrong…will you protect Mama, too?_

_Magisk_ shot up like a lightning bolt, settling between her eyes and soothing the headache she hadn’t realized she had. It thrummed there, sending comforting pulses of cold through her whole body.

_I always have._


	14. Against Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and the group reach Auradon and try to find the magic wand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And naturally, as soon as I say I’m going to update faster, this happens. Ugh, sorry, guys- life’s getting hectic, and I’m just not able to write as much as I should- that and I’m procrastinating and lazy. 
> 
> Anyway. I got the next chapter done now, and this is past the halfway point! The plot should move a lot quicker now, if you were getting a little tired of all the talking that was happening in the earlier chapters.

The woods flashed by in a blur as the sled came closer and closer to Auradon. Erika, taking a turn in the front seat next to Anna, watched the scenery pass with a growing sense of unease. 

_Magisk?_

_Yes?_

_What do we do if something...bad happens?_

Magisk swirled in her feet and up her legs where she had started to get overheated in her sturdy leather boots. _I will protect you, and your mama. And your_ tante _, too. I will always be there._

_Even if we wind up on the Isle?_ Erika couldn’t help thinking. She didn’t know what was wrong with her- she couldn’t stop thinking about the Isle.

Magisk came up to her hands, spinning around her wrists. _Even if you cannot feel and reach me, I will be there. Do not be afraid._

_I am afraid,_ Erika answered, drawing her knees up and slipping her boots and stockings off, enjoying the feeling of air hitting her bare feet. _I’m always afraid. I’m not...I don’t think I have enough power to protect Mama._

_You always have more power than you think,_ came the reply, making Erika smile. 

Elsa stood up in the back and leaned over the back of the seat. “We’ll reach Auradon today,” she said. “Are you ready?”

Anna grinned. “I certainly am. It’s been too long since I did something this...”

“Stupid?” Erika teased. 

“I was going to say crazy,” Anna replied. “I think the only thing that comes close is hurling myself off a cliff to get away from your colossus of an ice monster, Elsa.”

“Marshmallow’s all bluster, just like Beast,” Elsa countered.

From the back, Hans snorted. The snort turned into a surprised sound as Hunter whacked him in the arm and glared at him. 

Erika held back a laugh. Over the past three days, Hunter had gone from simply arguing with his father to actively stopping his barbed comments- any way he thought necessary. Maybe he knew how easily Hans could get under someone’s skin. 

Erika was fairly sure that there were things about the Isle that Hunter was hiding from her, or at the least unwilling to talk about. He could be open one minute and closed off the next, but at least he didn’t have his father’s manipulative, jagged way of speaking. They had all learned to simply ignore Hans as much as they could. 

Sindri nosed Erika’s neck, sending shivers down her spine. She pulled him off her shoulder and held the little bear in the crook of her arm. Sindri didn’t seem to mind, curling up for a nap and folding his wings over his head. 

“How do you want to play this, Elsa?” Anna asked quietly. “Do we want to stay hidden in the woods and try for the wand tomorrow, or should we do it today and be back in Arendelle before they know we were here?”

Elsa frowned. “Either option has its risks. If we stay in the woods, we run a greater chance of being spotted, but we’ll be able to wait till dark. If we go now, in broad daylight, we could be caught, but we’ll have the element of surprise.” She tapped her chin. “I’d say we should wait till dark, but they’ll be more alert then. You’re better at things like this than me, Anna- what do you think?”

Anna was silent for a moment. “I’d say to try to slip into the museum in broad daylight, but you two are a bit...recognizable. I don’t think there’s very many people in the kingdom with white hair.”

“At least, not at our ages,” Erika added. 

Elsa sighed and settled back down in the sled. “It’s decided, then. We wait till nightfall.”

Erika felt magisk coiling around her wrists like a chilled bracelet. It thrummed with anticipation. _Always ready for a fight, hmm?_ she thought. 

_I am strengthened by emotions in their rawest form, after all. It is only natural that I would be excited for a battle. I have not had the chance to protect you from a serious threat in a long time._

Erika smiled. _Hopefully there won’t be any serious threats. But if there are...remind them what I can do._

Magisk hissed up to her shoulders and down again, pulsing at her fingertips. _I look forward to it._

“We’re over the Auradon border,” Anna announced suddenly, her voice growing tight and hard. 

“A step closer to my reward,” Hans muttered. 

Hunter groaned. “Just shut up, Dad. You’ve lost.” 

“ _We’ve_ lost,” Hans corrected, his eyes snapping. “Or at least it should be we.”

Hunter folded his arms. “Well, you forgot to ask me if I even wanted to “get glorious revenge”, so now I’d just go against you out of pure spite, if I didn’t actually agree with the queen and princesses.” 

“Don’t sully those royal titles by giving them to those freaks,” Hans ordered. 

“I don’t have to do anything you say,” Hunter shot back. 

“I’m still your father.“

“Well, you forgot to ask me if I wanted that, too.”

“Enough!” Elsa finally said. “Both of you. Quiet. That goes double for you, traitor,” she added for Hans’ benefit. 

The prince huffed but made no further remarks. Erika was surprised. This was the first time she’d seen Hans’ calm, calculating mask slip. He was frustrated- had been getting more frustrated the closer they got to Auradon. 

_He’s scared of them, too,_ she realized with a jolt. _They can toss him and Hunter back on the Isle anytime they want. That’s probably what Beast threatened him with if he didn’t capture us._ The Isle was her worst fear, and she’d never even seen it. Hans had. _What is he so afraid of going back to?_ She wanted to feel some sympathy for him, she really did. But his life wouldn’t be at stake if he returned to the Isle. The island prison would kill Erika and Elsa, one way or another. 

_He’s fighting for his freedom. We’re fighting for our lives._

An hour later, Anna pulled the sled to a halt deep in the thinning woods. The thick forest was beginning to turn into the sparse trees of the forest around Auradon, and Erika knew that they were nearing the capital. There would be no trees to hide them there. 

“We’ll make camp here,” Elsa decided. “No fire, and as little noise as possible. Tonight, we’ll all slip into Auradon, get the wand, and ride for Arendelle as fast as Sven’s hooves can take us.” 

“Hold on,” Anna said with a frown. “What are we going to do with them?” She nodded towards Hans and Hunter. 

“Well, I was going to have Erika watch them,” Elsa replied slowly. “But I know my daughter, and I know she’d simply freeze Hans to a tree and follow us. And I also thought of something.” Her blue eyes were cold. “In case we do run into trouble, it might be handy to have Hans with us. Auradon won’t want to risk losing him when they know how good he is at tracking us down. Not even a spell could do better. They won’t want to lose that. So in case we get into a tight spot...” 

“We have a hostage,” Anna supplied. “Wow, Elsa. You got tough.” 

“My people and my daughter are at stake,” Elsa answered grimly. “I will do whatever it takes to protect them.” 

* * *

As night fell over Auradon, five shadowy figures slipped through the streets. Elsa had brought along dark blue cloaks for her, Erika, and Anna, which helped conceal them in the darkness. Anna had gagged Hans and had a knife pressed to his throat. “Try anything stupid,” she said in almost a growl, “and I won’t have a crazy ex-boyfriend anymore.” 

Erika’s heart throbbed with excitement and fear. She hadn’t been back in Auradon since she’d frozen the school. She shivered, and her fingers rubbed the sequins beneath her cloak as she thought about the days she’d spent running through the forest. She’d been sure that Auradon had sent its troops after her. She hadn’t dared stop until reaching the sea- and even then, she’d only rested a bit before stepping onto the water and fleeing across it, much like Elsa had done years ago. 

She shook the memories from her mind and focused on the task at hand. They crouched beneath the window of the History Museum, waiting for a cloud to cover the moon. 

“There’ll be a guard,” Elsa said. “More than one, probably. We’re lucky it’s getting close to winter, or else we’d never be able to pull this off. Anna, you’ll open the door, and Erika, you’ll frost over the security cameras. With any luck, the guard will come to shut the door, thinking that’s blurring the screens. That’s when I’ll knock him out, and we’ll go from there.” 

Anna nodded shortly and passed her knife to Elsa, going quietly up toward the door. A bit of her tongue poked out between her lips as she worked the lock open and pulled the door ajar. 

Erika took over, sending careful streams of frost at the security cameras. She didn’t stop until she’d completely iced them over, and then rejoined her mother and aunt in the bushes. 

Elsa readied a large snowball, and Erika breathed a stream of permafrost onto it. They waited for almost thirty minutes, but no guard appeared. 

“Could they be stretched thin trying to figure out how to deal with Arendelle?” Anna wondered. “I say we go in.” 

Elsa frowned. “I don’t like it. But we don’t have another option.” She rose abruptly, holding a finger to her lips, and signaled for them to move slowly and quietly into the building. 

Magisk hummed so loudly inside Erika’s head that she wondered if it could be heard outside of it. Her magic, raw and ready, wanted to fight. 

_There’s no one here to fight,_ she told it, but it didn’t care, throwing itself against her fingers as if it could force itself out into the world. 

The museum was abandoned. There were no guards. 

“All we have to do is find the wand,” Anna said happily. 

Elsa nodded. “Split up. When you find it, come get someone else- no signals. I still think this is a trap of some kind.” 

Anna took Hans down the stairs, and Elsa took the left side. Erika headed straight ahead. 

The first room she entered was a treasury of sorts- currency from every kingdom was laid out in glass cases. She spotted a few kroner among the pieces, set out on a piece of black velvet. 

The next room was the infamous Hall or Villains, and unfortunately Erika had to pass through it to get to the third room. It made her shiver, seeing all the wax figurines- Jafar, leering with his staff. Maleficent, cackling like a madwoman. Cruella de Vil chasing a horde of stuffed puppies. The Evil Queen, staring lovingly at her magic mirror.

Erika turned a corner, glad to have the unnerving wax statues behind her. She almost ran straight into one, jumping back and barely resisting a startled cry. 

This was undoubtedly a new figure, one that hadn’t been there during her time attending Auradon Prep. That much was obvious- because this statue was Erika herself. 

Erika stared at it. She should have been angry, but all she felt was numb. The wax figure was taller than her, a larger-than-life portrayal. White hair flowed out behind the statue, and her mouth was open in a witch’s cackle. They had every detail perfect, down to the ice spreading from a bare foot and the sequined hoodie the figurine wore. Molded black ice splintered from the statue’s fingers. 

Erika tilted her head, defiance churning in her heart. She suddenly didn’t care about the wax figure. _Let Auradon call me a villain. Let them. What makes them think that makes me one?_

She looked around, hoping against all hope that her mother had no wax figure, but the slim, blue-clad statue on the other side dashed them. She was tempted to destroy the wax figures- but that was all they were. Wax statues that couldn’t accurately portray her and her mother. She shrugged and left the room. 

The next room she entered held the wand, and she ran for her mother. “How are we going to do this?” she asked as Anna burst in with Hans. 

Elsa frowned. “Well, since the force field is made of magic, a person with magic running through them might be able to penetrate it. But I don’t know if we should risk it.” 

Erika set her jaw. Their goal was so close- she could see the slender ivory stick through the shimmering magic barrier. “We’ve come too far now,” she said, and touched the force field. 

As her fingers hit it, she felt the magic from it coursing up into her, her own going into it. It was as if the barrier’s magic and _magisk_ were...talking to each other. Then the force field dissipated. 

Erika gave her mother a smile and reached for the wand, moving slowly in case of any traps. Nothing happened. She took a deep breath and seized the wand. 

Her hand closed on empty air, and the wand flickered and dissipated. 

Behind them, Hans began to laugh. 


	15. Against Traitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and the group discover the actual location of the wand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m actually ahead of schedule for this, which I love- it gives me time to really think through each chapter. I haven’t...loved the way I’ve been writing recently- I don’t think either this chapter or the one before it are really my best, but I didn’t want to keep you guys waiting while I tried to fine-tune every little thing. I’ve got the next update scheduled for Thursday, which gives me a decent amount of time to really work on the next chapter and figure out what’s been going on with my writing and why it’s not as good as it should be lately. 
> 
> Also, one of my regulars commented on the last chapter and said that they had read three fanfictions that week and they all ended with a cliffhanger. I was quick to reassure them that the next chapter of this would clear things up!
> 
> And then I went and did this. Sorry, commenter- I swear I’ll try to cut back on the cliffhangers!

Elsa whirled on Hans, her eyes angry. “You knew about this,” she accused. “It’s a trap, isn’t it?”

Anna pulled Hans’ gag down, and the prince’s familiar mocking smile showed on his face. “Actually, no,” he said, smirking. “No trap. Just a precaution Auradon has taken with how many attempts have been made to steal the wand. The people can still come to see it, but it’s not really there.”

Elsa glared. “But you knew about it.”

“Of course,” Hans replied. “ _That’s_ common knowledge on the Isle, to dissuade any more villains from plotting to steal it. I would have told you, really I would. Except it was just…so perfect, seeing you get your hopes up so far only to have them come crashing down around you now. Somewhat like that icy chandelier in your little mountain hideaway…why does something always end up broken around you, Elsa?”

Erika gasped at the savage words, turning in alarm to her mother. Elsa had never looked so angry.

“Do you know where the wand is really hidden?” Anna said.

“Naturally,” Hans answered. “However, I won’t tell you.”

“Yes, you will,” Elsa said, folding her arms. “You will. For two reasons. Reason number one- you don’t want me to freeze you to a wall and let Auradon discover you failed to capture us. Reason number two- you still want to finish your mission, and you can’t do that if I leave you here while we search for the wand.”

Hans’ jaw dropped, and he stared at Elsa in shock. “How did you-“

Hunter grinned. “Looks like she’s taken a page out of your book, Dad.”

“Fine,” Hans snarled, throwing an angry look at his son. “I’ll tell you where it’s hidden. But you’ll never be able to get to it.”

“And why not?” Anna asked.

“Because it’s in Beast’s palace. And the most heavily fortified part of it, too- the prison.”

Elsa frowned. “Well, isn’t that symbolic,” she said. “Locking up the last remnant of magic in Auradon.”

“Beast does have a flair for the dramatic,” Hans said. “I imagine it’ll be even more dramatic when he tosses you and your daughter onto the Isle to rot.”

Hunter rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

“The prison, hmm?” Anna mused. “We’ll have to go through the rest of the palace, unless we can find some way to get directly there.”

“If we can avoid that, I’d like to,” Elsa replied. “It’ll be next to impossible to get to Beast’s prison- not with all of Auradon wanting to imprison us. Besides, we stand out a good bit.” She gestured to their clothes, which were rather obviously from Arendelle.

“Erika might stand a chance with that hoodie, if she covers her hair somehow,” Anna suggested.

Erika shook her head. “No, I won’t. They had a wax figure of me in the museum wearing this. They know I like it. A girl in a blue hoodie with her hair covered will attract more suspicion. I wouldn’t make it halfway to the prison.”

“I guess we have to break in,” Elsa said. “There’s only one thing on our side- no one expects people to break _into_ a prison.”

* * *

Anna glanced nervously at the still-dark sky as they left the museum, careful to erase any evidence that they had been there. “Elsa, do you think there’s enough time?”

“There has to be,” Elsa replied, her face set in a determined expression. “We need that wand.”

Hunter fell into step beside Erika. “Your mom’s really set on stealing the wand,” he whispered.

Erika nodded. “It’s the only thing that can actually put us on the Isle from Arendelle. You don’t understand how scared Mama and I am of being sent there…especially after what you told me.”

Hunter winced. “Yeah, I maybe shouldn’t have told you that, or at least I should have waited until you got the wand.”

Erika turned, frowning. “You really think we’ll be able to get it?”

Hunter shrugged, a slight smile on his face. “I think you’ve got as good a chance as anyone. Maybe more, with your powers. You and your mom- you’re probably the most dangerous people in the world.”

“In terms of magic, maybe,” Erika said. “But danger comes in a lot of forms.”

“If you’re thinking of my dad, don’t worry,” Hunter told her. “I’ve been with him all my life. I know what he acts like when he knows he’s been beaten, and right now, he’s doing it. Queen Elsa outsmarted him, plain and simple, and he hates that. But he’s not stupid enough to try anything else.”

Erika laughed a little. “Really?”

“Really.” Hunter nodded. “I’m his son. He can’t hide anything from me, not after I’ve spent eighteen years watching him lie and scheme and trick practically everyone on the Isle. You should have seen it the time he convinced Mother Gothel that Evil Queen had called her ugly, and then did the same thing with the Evil Queen. They were both ranting and raving up one side of the Isle and down the other.”

Erika grinned at the mental image. “Why would he do that, though?” she asked. “What does he gain out of setting them against each other?”

Hunter sighed, running a hand through his shaggy red hair. “He used to tell me that an Isle that was disorganized and chaotic had more “opportunity” than a fairly organized one. Maleficent’s the undisputed ruler of the place- no one crosses her unless they’re severely brain damaged. But everyone else? He considers them fair game. He was convinced that eventually Auradon would realize that your mother was a monster and set him free.” He shook his head. “I wish I hadn’t been there when Auradon actually did it. He was saying the most ridiculous things.”

“He really hates Mama, doesn’t he?” Erika said softly.

Hunter gave her a sympathetic look. “He doesn’t like being beaten. Your Mama and your…what did you call your aunt?”

“ _Tante,_ ” Erika answered.

“That. He was convinced he’d thought of everything, that his plan to take over Arendelle would go off without a hitch. And then Elsa and Anna managed to defeat him, and he, well…he didn’t take it well.”

“I gathered that,” Erika said, but before she could say anything else, Elsa turned and put a finger to her lips, gesturing ahead.

Erika looked up and found herself staring at Beast and Belle’s castle. It was a little too grand to be pretty, in her mind. She much preferred the open, friendly look of the castle in Arendelle to this almost fortress of a palace.

“Where do you think the prison is?” Elsa asked, keeping her voice just barely loud enough to be heard.

Anna frowned. “I’d say underground, somewhere. Elsa, we can’t just go right through the palace. It’d be impossible.”

“We don’t have another option!”

“Pipes,” Hunter said suddenly.

“What?”

“Pipes. We can use the pipes. We did it all the time on the Isle- even a prison has to have piping of some kind.”

A smile slowly bloomed on Elsa’s face. “That just might work,” she said slowly.

“The only problem is actually trying to find the pipes,” Anna remarked.

Elsa nodded. “Let’s get going.”

Erika swallowed, her hands finding her sleeves beneath her cloak. She didn’t like the idea of wandering around in the dark with Hans.

 _I am here,_ reminded _magisk,_ wrapping around her shoulders and down her arms. She breathed in and out, pulling it up and expanding it until her entire body was coated with a comforting chill.

 _Be ready_ , she thought.

Slowly, they made their way around the entire perimeter of the castle, searching for the entrance to the pipes. There were several close calls, since Auradon seemed to have increased security. One particularly tense moment had them all scrambling up and over a stone wall just ahead of one of the guard patrols.

“Well, that was fun,” Anna said, brushing herself off. “Where are we?”

Erika frowned, looking around her. They had tumbled into a garden of some kind- flowers and herbs grew in neat rows, and two out of four walls were lined with rosebushes. _I’m glad we didn’t fall into those._

“I think we’re in the kitchen garden,” she said aloud.

“The garden,” Elsa repeated. She went to one of the plants and lifted its leaves, smiling. “Sprinkler system,” she said. “That means there’s a drain somewhere to get rid of the excess when these plants are watered. And that means…”

“We can find the pipes,” Anna finished.

That part didn’t take long. The drain cover turned out to be underneath a large tree. Anna and Elsa wrestled it up, exposing a dark, wet passageway.

“I’ll go first,” Elsa said. “Anna, you come after that with Hans. Erika, I want you in the back.” She took a deep breath and disappeared into the hole.

Anna and Hans were next, and then Hunter, who flashed Erika a reassuring smile before he vanished. Erika clenched her fists and slid into the drainpipe.

It wasn’t as bad as she thought. The pipe was cold, which she didn’t mind, and dark, which unnerved her a bit. She was glad for her cloak, which was thick enough to prevent most of her getting wet, including her beloved hoodie. The only real problem was how slippery the pipe was- her boots helped a little, but more than once, she accidentally crashed into Hunter.

Light from up ahead signaled an exit, and Erika breathed a sigh of relief as the pipe widened out into a circular junction- there were other pipe branches straight ahead and to the left and right, and then an exit in the middle. Anna pressed her face against the grating, shaking her head. “Keep going,” she mouthed.

 _Magisk, I need to talk to someone,_ Erika thought. _I need to keep my mind off of…this._

_I’m here. I’m always here._

_What will happen to you if Mama and I get sent to the Isle?_

_Magisk_ made the odd humming sound that Erika had learned to recognize as a laugh. _Still worried about the Isle, are you? I don’t know what will happen to me- magic can never really be stripped away. Your connection to it can be blocked, but not even the darkest, blackest magic known can take it away. Perhaps you will simply be unable to reach me. I will still be inside you, I think, but we will be separated from each other. That is dangerous- the_ is selv _and the_ magisk selv _are not meant to be apart. That is what will endanger you most of all._

 _But we were separated before, when I didn’t know you were there,_ Erika said.

 _That was different. That was you- you were the one to lock me away in your heart, along with a good portion of your emotions. The_ is selv _and_ magisk selv _were still one, then. The Isle is by force- you will have no control over it. They will force the two halves of you apart. It makes all the difference whether you decide to do something or whether you have it done to you._

“We’re here!” Elsa suddenly hissed. She formed an ice blade on her arm, and held it out to Erika. “It’ll break without permafrost.”

Erika drew in her breath and blew a stream of her frost onto the blade. Elsa raised it and drove it down into the cover of the pipe, wrenching it open.

As soon as they dropped into the room, Erika knew it was a prison. The room was lined with a double row of cells- for all the modern appearance of Auradon, this place looked as old as the dungeon beneath Arendelle’s castle, except without the broken wall. It scared Erika in a way that it shouldn’t have.

Elsa was feeling it, too. Her hands rubbed over each other, as if she was trying to reassure herself that the metal shackles no longer covered them. “Where is the wand?” she said.

“The last cell,” Hans replied grudgingly.

“Found the keys!” Hunter held up a ring of keys, tossing them to Anna, who caught them deftly in both hands.

“They were smarter this time,” Elsa murmured. “No guards, no extra security measures. You would never know that the most powerful object in Auradon is hidden here.”

Anna swung the cell door open. “I don’t see anything,” she said, puzzled.

Elsa took a deep breath, straightened her back, and stepped inside herself. The cell was bare- a stone bench along one wall was the only furniture. “It must be hidden somewhere. Erika, stay by the door- _don’t_ come inside. Anna, help me look.”

Erika scanned the cell from the door, frowning. The wand was small, but so was the cell. There were only so many places the wand could be…

“Erika, look out!” Hunter suddenly shouted.

Something struck her back, hard. Erika fell forward, just managing to catch herself before her face hit the rough stone. She jumped up, ready to run for the door, but Hans slammed it shut.

“You planned this!” Elsa’s voice was heavy with fury and fear.

Hans laughed, low and cruel. “No, I didn’t. But it seems the dice fell in my favor, this time. And don’t bother using your ice to escape. The wand really is in there, and Beast took the wise precaution of putting a magical barrier around it. You’re stuck there.”

He slammed the ice cuffs around his wrists against the bars, and they cracked and fell at his feet. “I do love happy endings. The kind that end with the monsters in a cage.”

“Dad, you don’t have to do this!” Hunter seized Hans’ arm. “They’re not monsters! You can’t let Auradon send them to the Isle! They’ll die!”

Hans shook his son off, and Erika was shocked by how cruel his eyes were now that the power was in his hands. “Well, if you feel that strongly about it…”

He opened the door, just long enough to shove Hunter inside, and then slammed it again.

Hunter threw himself against the bars, his eyes wide. “Dad, what are you _doing?_ ”

“Something I should have done a long time ago,” Hans answered, locking the cell door. “I gave you so many chances, Hunter. But in the end, you chose their side.” He shook his head. “You can share their fate, then.”

Anna growled, her face beginning to redden with anger. “You’re the monster, Hans,” she spat. “Not Elsa. Not Erika. It was always you.”

Hans smirked again. “I’m sure Auradon will return _you_ safely to Arendelle,” he replied. “It would be just too cruel to leave Arendelle to be ruled by your oaf of a husband.”

“I’d punch you in the face again if I could!” Anna retorted.

“I don’t doubt it,” Hans said, walking away and hanging the keys on their hook at the other end of the cells. “However, you can’t. It’s time for you to face facts.”

He gave them one last smile, cruel and terrible. “I win.”


	16. Against Traps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and the others search for a way to escape the cell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four days late, but who’s counting?
> 
> Yeesh, sorry, guys! I wish I had an excuse, but the truth is I have been ridiculously lazy recently. It all boils down to plain procrastination. Ugh. I can’t even blame writers’ block, I’m just lazy. 
> 
> Anyway. I am still sort of on schedule- I’ve had to move things around a little, but I should still finish this book up by my target date. Nine more chapters after this one! We’ve hit the final countdown!

Elsa let out a low cry and sank onto the bench, hiding her face in her hands. She was always pale, but her skin had drained of color, turning a shade of deathly white.

“Mama!” Erika gasped. “What’s wrong?”

Anna took her sister’s hand, gently rubbing her wrist. “Elsa, come on,” she said through gritted teeth. “Don’t focus on the past. Focus on us, here and now. You’re not alone. We’re right here.” She guided Erika to take Elsa’s other hand. “Just breathe, _søster_.”

“What’s happening to her?” Hunter asked.

“Elsa hates locked doors and being trapped in rooms,” Anna replied stiffly. “And since this locked door happens to be holding us in a prison cell, it’s worse than I’ve ever seen it.”

Erika sat on the bench next to her mother, gently rubbing the base of her neck, adding a little cold than usual to her touch, knowing it would comfort Elsa. Elsa reached up and took hold of her hand.

“Breathe, Elsa,” Anna murmured. “It’s going to be all right. We’re going to get out of here.”

Elsa just barely shook her head, clenching her fists. Erika could tell her mother was fighting- Elsa wasn’t one to give in to despair. She was battling the memories and the fear in her mind.

“Mama, I’m right here,” she said softly, switching from the Auradon language to the Arendelle one. She knew what would be her mother’s foremost fear. “I’m safe. See?” She made her mother’s signature snowflake, letting it hover above her palm, and then added her own. “Magic. I still have it. We’re going to be fine, all of us.”

Elsa’s whole body shuddered, and she took a deep breath. She lifted her head, her blue eyes clouded with pain and fear, but with a steely determination behind it. “We’re going to escape,” she said.

Anna sighed with relief. “Yes,” she answered. “By the time Auradon gets here, we’ll be long gone. Think about it, Elsa. You’ll have escaped a prison cell twice. Not many people can say that.”

A tiny smile appeared on Elsa’s face. “How much time do you think we have?”

“Auradon’s scared of you and Erika,” Hunter said. “They’ll probably want to get Mal, rather than send in ordinary soldiers. There’s a magic barrier, yes, but once they open the cell door, they’re opening themselves up to getting frozen. They’ll need Mal, or FG, or Jane, or someone who can prevent that, and that’s gonna take a bit. I’d say we have…at least an hour.”

“That’s better than I was expecting.” Anna withdrew her hand from Elsa’s with one last pat to her sister’s shoulder and straightened up. “Okay. We’ve got a magic barrier to get through, and a locked door. Or iron bars. What do we have in here that can help with that?”

“Not much,” Erika admitted. “I could send Sindri to fly over and get the keys, but we’d need to break through this magic field first. Otherwise I’m afraid it’ll vaporize him or something, since he’s magic.”

“I think this magic barrier is our hardest obstacle.” Anna frowned, studying it. “There’s no way to get through it. We have to find a way around it, I think.”

Erika sighed and slumped onto the floor. “We’ll figure- hey!” She frowned suddenly, staring at a piece of the wall. “Look. That’s a little odd, isn’t it?”

Hunter joined her, one eyebrow raised. “What is?”

“Well, that crack is a lot bigger than the others.” Erika pointed to a place where the wall met the stone floor, a narrow black line marking the junction.

Hunter studied it a moment, then abruptly jabbed his hand into it.

“Hunter!” Erika yelped. “Don’t just stick your hand into random holes!”

“On the Isle,” Hunter responded, feeling around the crack, “random holes are often where people hide things they don’t want being discovered.” He gave a cry of triumph and pulled his arm out. “Looks like Auradon isn’t that different.” In his hand was Fairy Godmother’s magic wand.

“Well, that takes care of the magic barrier.” Anna grinned.

But Elsa shook her head. “The wand’s useless to us.”

“Mal and Uma were both able to use it on the barrier,” Hunter said.

“They both had natural magic,” Elsa replied, standing up. “Mal from her mother, Uma from hers.”

“Don’t you and Erika-“

“Ours is elemental.” Erika sighed and crossed her arms. “The magic wand is only usable by those who have to cast spells to use their magic. Mama and I don’t have to do that- we can actually communicate with our magic. We just think what we want it to do- and sometimes not even that.”

“Darn.” Hunter tossed the wand to Elsa, who tucked it into her cloak. “I was really hoping that would work.” He looked frustrated, almost angry.

“It’s not your fault,” Erika said.

“No, it’s not.” Hunter scuffed at the floor. “It’s Dad’s- _Hans’_ fault. He’s too self-centered, revenge-bent. Anyone can be a piece in his game.”

Erika winced. _Poor Hunter._ She knew that, despite Hunter’s strained relationship with his father, he had loved Hans. Being rejected, left to Auradon’s mercy, must have hurt him to the heart.

Anna was frowning. “Auradon’s not that creative, right?”

“Well, besides inventing a punishment worse than death for anyone who crosses them, yeah,” Hunter said.

“You think this magic barrier is the same as the one in the museum?”

“Probably.”

“Erika broke through the one in the museum.”

The cell went silent as everyone turned to stare at Anna.

Erika slapped her forehead at almost the same time Hunter did. “ _Why_ didn’t we think of that sooner?”

She knelt by the bars, picking up Sindri and setting the little bear in her palm. “Okay, Sindri,” she said. “I need you to fly over there and get those keys, okay? Once you get them, bring them to me, and I’ll make another hole in the barrier so someone can reach through and open the door. Ready?”

Sindri cocked his head and let his tongue flop out, his wings flaring open. Erika laughed and set her hands against the barrier, concentrating on opening it.

Instantly, she knew something was wrong. In the museum, she had felt _magisk_ and the barrier magic communicating, meeting inside of her and talking in their own way. This time, _magisk_ was blocked, and the Auradon magic was flowing into her unrestrained. It felt hot, almost sparking like electricity. It _hurt._ Magic wasn’t supposed to hurt her.

She gritted her teeth and forced a hole open anyway, feeling the unfamiliar magic starting to overwhelm her. “Go, Sindri,” she gasped.

She saw a flash of white blur by before she had to close the hole, leaning her head against the cell bars and trying to breathe. She was so _hot,_ why was Auradon’s magic so warm? Magic wasn’t supposed to feel like this. Why did Auradon magic feel so wrong?

Hunter was beside her. “He’s got them. If you open a hole, I’ll reach through and get the key in the lock.”

Erika nodded, too dazed to speak. She stood up with a little help from Hunter and placed her hands beside the lock. She took a deep breath, gazing up at the ceiling, and then did it again, opening herself up to the strange magic and willing it, _forcing_ it, to obey her. It was worse, this time, coursing through her like fire, and she had to use all the strength she had to get it to open. She had to fight this magic, it wasn’t like her own. It wouldn’t simply do what she needed it to, she had to push it, use all her strength and will to get it to move. It felt a little like when she’d torn her ice coating off in her bedroom at Auradon Prep, except inside her instead of on her skin. She wondered distantly if she was bleeding. She’d never had to use force with _magisk-_ often, she didn’t even need to think in order for it to do what she needed. Sometimes, she didn’t even need that much. _Magisk_ was alive, a guardian, a friend. Auradon’s magic didn’t feel like a living thing. It felt like it was simply there, powerful, but not alive.

She didn’t know when she finally collapsed, unable to hold on against the heat of Auradon’s magic, but she felt the pain when her head hit the stone floor. It wasn’t as if she was experiencing it, it wasn’t like she was experiencing anything. Her head was trying to convince her that she was far away from her own body and yet tied to it at the same time.

And then _magisk_ came flooding back to her, charging through her veins and her mind, filling her with blessed, blissful cold. It was roaring, crashing through her like the fjord in spring after the snowmelt from the mountains. She felt it clash with the unfamiliar magic that still lingered inside her, felt the two forces fighting.

 _Magisk?_ she thought weakly.

 _Stay still, hero princess,_ her magic answered. _There is bad magic here. I must keep it from your heart._

She could sense it, the battle of magics taking place inside her. Her body was a battleground, hot and cold, good and bad, waging war through her mind. She lay back and let it happen, one moment feeling the flames of Auradon and the next _magisk’s_ chill. She didn’t know if she could do anything to affect what was happening- she suspected she couldn’t. Her magic self was taking a turn to fight.

“Erika? Are you all right?”

Erika opened her eyes to see Anna’s worried face above her. She groaned and sat up, clutching at her head. “Let’s never do that again,” she said, her voice thick and hard to control.

Anna laughed and helped her up, taking her arm and supporting her. Hunter did the same with her other arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

They walked out of the cell, turning and waiting for Elsa. The queen turned around as soon as she stepped through the door, slamming it as hard as she could and locking it.

Sindri flew to Erika’s side, nuzzling her ear with his cold nose and sending shivers down her spine. “I’m fine,” she told him, letting him ride in her hair the way he loved.

“Let’s go. Back the way we came,” Anna directed. “Through the pipes, but we’ll take a different path in case they’re waiting for us.”

“Smart,” Hunter said. He was the first to clamber back into the dark, narrow passageway, followed by Anna. Elsa and Erika lingered behind.

Elsa climbed up, but didn’t vanish into the darkness, giving Erika a concerned look. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll be fine,” Erika assured her. “I just have to do something.”

Elsa nodded and disappeared.

Erika closed her eyes and focused, separating _magisk_ and the Auradon magic from the tangle in her veins, sending _magisk_ to her heart and the Auradon magic to her hands. She inhaled sharply and forced all of the strange magic out, shoving it out and away from her. She didn’t know if it was making ice or snow or frost, but she didn’t care. Some instinct was telling her that she needed all traces of it out of her body, and fast.

She pushed until she had forced every last bit of the Auradon magic out of her, and _magisk_ rushed through her, expanding to fill in the gaps left behind, setting cold through her like she had never felt. Without turning around and looking at what she had done, she climbed into the pipes and followed the others into the darkness.

When an entire battalion of Auradon’s best soldiers, with Mal at their head, burst into the prison twenty minutes later, both their prey and the magic wand were long gone, heading back for Arendelle as fast as Sven could run.

All that was left as evidence was a large drift of snow piled up against the wall. Mal scowled deeply, picking up a handful and letting it trickle through her fingers.

The snow was black.

_Søster-_ sister


	17. Against Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and the group return to Arendelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is actually earlier than when I’d planned to post this chapter, but I got a very sweet comment and just had a flood of inspiration. Bonus is I now have a little wiggle room in my schedule for this, should something come up or I decide to get lazy again. 😬
> 
> And, even though it’s over halfway through the book (only eight chapters to go!) I have finally gotten around to starting a trailer for On Thin Ice! Same deal as last time- I’ll let you guys know when it’s done, and then feel free to email me (phoenixfeatherfletching@yahoo.com) if you want to see that.

Erika stared down at her hand as the sled moved on toward Arendelle. Everyone had been quiet since their narrow escape from Auradon. Everyone seemed to be thinking about their own part in the events. 

Erika was thinking about magic. She felt, oddly, like she had right before she had started to freeze Auradon Prep. There was adrenaline still lingering, and she was tense and alert. But there was a strange calm, too. She felt as if, no matter what happened, she would know what to do. _Ready or not, Auradon_ , she thought.

Anna’s voice broke into her mind. “We’ll be back in Arendelle in about an hour,” she announced. “Probably just as it gets dark. I’d like it to be sooner, but I don’t want to push Sven any harder.” 

“Poor Sven,” Erika said, smiling a little. The faithful reindeer had seemed to sense the urgency to get back to their home. Erika had never seen Kristoff’s sled go so fast. 

She felt Sindri roll over in the toe of her boot, pressing his cold little back against her foot. His wings flopped over and wrapped around her foot, sending a chill up her legs. His purring, rumbling happy sounds made her foot tingle. She leaned back in the sled and let herself relax for the first time since they’d left Auradon. 

As soon as they had gotten back on the move, it had hit her like a lightning bolt exactly what a narrow escape they had had. If she hadn’t been able to force open the magic barrier, she and her mother would have been on the way to the Isle right then. She hated thinking about it. She didn’t feel necessarily afraid of the Isle anymore, at least as much as she had. It was more like a distant cloud- she was aware of its presence, but not fearful of the storm. 

She felt lighter, freer, as if she had forced out all of her fear along with Auradon’s magic. _Fear_. That seemed to be Auradon’s most powerful tactic. They intimidated other kingdoms with their sheer strength and power. And they had gotten that power by convincing other kingdoms that they would be safer united. They had even decided to unite and build the Isle in the first place out of fear of the villains. _Fear, fear, fear._ Erika wondered if, though Auradon’s magic was made through spells, it was connected to an emotion, too. She smiled a little as she thought about the way fear used to represent itself in her ice- with the same bright yellow color that was on Auradon’s flag. _Isn’t that ironic_. 

Erika turned around, leaning her elbows on the side of the sled and staring out at the scenery flashing by. It was mostly pine trees again, with a few of the woodsy oaks and maples she had seen in Auradon scattered here and there. The air was noticeably colder, even to her- Arendelle’s winter always came early. Though it was still technically fall, she knew that the first heavy snowfall could happen any day. 

“It’s beautiful,” said a voice at her side. Erika turned to see Hunter. 

“I forgot you weren’t here for this part of the journey,” she answered. “Arendelle’s one of the prettiest kingdoms in the world. Wait until you see the mountains, and the fjord.”

Hunter’s smile dropped a little. “You think your mother will let me stay? I mean, I’m the son of her worst enemy.” 

Erika laughed. “You still haven’t gotten to know Mama very well, I see. She doesn’t judge people like that. I know she’ll be more than happy to have you stay in Arendelle. I’d be willing to bet it’s going to be a lot better than the Isle.” 

“That’s for sure,” Hunter replied. “I wonder if Auradon will send Hans back there.” 

“He didn’t capture us.” Erika shrugged. “Who knows what they’re going to do?” She turned and looked into Hunter’s eyes. “Are you going to miss him?” 

“Yes,” Hunter admitted. “But not enough to want to be with him again.” He shook his head abruptly, smoothing his fingers through his red hair. “What’s the rest of your family like?” 

“There’s quite a few,” Erika answered, laughing. “You’ve already met Mama, Sven, Sindri, and _Tante_ Anna, but then there’s _Onkel_ Kristoff, Tante Anna’s husband, and their sons- my cousins, Arvik and Klaus. They’re the sweetest little boys you’ll ever meet. Oh, and Olaf, of course. He’s…a little different.” 

“Don’t worry,” Hunter said. “I handled a lot of different people on the Isle.”

“Were any of them a walking, talking snowman?” Erika asked, and then burst out laughing at the expression on Hunter’s face. 

“I think Hans forgot to tell me that part of the story,” he said. “A snowman? Really?” 

“You are definitely not ready to meet Marshmallow.” Erika shook her head. 

“What about siblings?” Hunter said. “Do you have any?”

“No,” Erika replied. “It’s just Mama and me.” 

“Oh.” Hunter looked surprised. “What about your dad?” 

“I never met my papa,” Erika told him. “Mama and _Tante_ Anna never speak about him. I don’t know who he is…or was.” 

“I’m sorry,” Hunter said softly. “My mom’s the same way- I have no idea who she is, if she’s still alive. But then, that’s a pretty common thing on the Isle.” Abruptly, he changed the subject. “Does everyone in Arendelle speak the same language as in Auradon?” 

“A pretty good amount can speak a little of it,” Erika answered, running a hand through her hair. “There’s probably some who are fluent. But most of them speak the Arendelle language. Mama just learned it when Auradon made us join them, and Tante Anna picked it up, too. Onkel Kristoff learned it from her, and when I was old enough, Mama taught me.”

“So you speak two languages?” Hunter grinned. “That’s awesome. Will you teach me the Arendelle language?” 

Erika shrugged. “Sure. It’s a little tricky at the beginning, but once you pick it up, it gets easier.” 

“Sorry, Erika,” Anna broke in, turning in her seat, “language lessons are going to have to wait.” She gestured forward, a relieved smile on her face. The Arendelle palace had suddenly appeared on the horizon without Erika noticing. “We’re home!”

As the sled slowed down in the castle courtyard, Anna leapt off of it, nearly falling in her rush. Elsa, as usual, was the more graceful of the two sisters, climbing down as the sled halted. As Erika jumped down, Kristoff came through the door and into the courtyard, Arvik and Klaus bouncing at his heels.

“Your Majesty!” Kristoff shouted. “Your Highness!” 

Anna bolted for him, throwing herself into her husband’s arms. “Mama!” Arvik and Klaus shrieked. Kristoff spun Anna around, grinning wide, and then set her down so she could hug the boys.

“I missed you all so much!” Anna gasped, not even bothering to hide the fact that tears were rolling down her face. “Were you good while I was gone?”

“Yes!” Klaus declared proudly. 

“We tried,” Arvik said. 

“They were wonderful,” Kristoff assured her. He stepped over to the sled and hugged Sven. “I missed you, buddy.” 

“He was amazing, Kristoff,” Elsa said warmly. “He got us out of Auradon faster than I even thought possible.” 

“Did you get it?” Kristoff asked. 

In answer, Elsa produced the magic wand, setting it in his hand. “We did.” 

Kristoff sighed in relief and then handed it back to Elsa. “Where are you going to put it?” 

“Erika and I are going to take another ride up the North Mountain tomorrow, if we can borrow your sled and your reindeer again,” Elsa answered. “It’ll be safe up there.” 

Kristoff nodded, looking back over at the sled. “Who’s this?” he said, gesturing to Hunter. 

Erika shot a glance at her friend. Hunter looked as if he were panicking slightly.

“It’s fine,” she mouthed to him. 

“I’m Hunter,” Hunter said, a little shakily. “I’m…Hans’ son.”

“He’s proven himself trustworthy,” Elsa cut in smoothly. “We ran into him and his father somewhere in Sherwood Forest, and Hans ended up trapping us all in the prison of the castle. It was a very close call.” 

“Why were you in the _castle_?” Kristoff asked, looking bewildered. 

“They hid the wand in the prison, or at least that’s what Hans said,” Elsa informed him. “I’m not so sure Auradon didn’t guess our plan and set up a trap for us all along.” 

“Wouldn’t put it past them.” Kristoff firmly shook Hunter’s hand. “Welcome to Arendelle, Hunter.” 

Hunter was looking more at ease by the minute. Erika smiled at him, and he returned it. 

“Let’s get everyone inside,” Anna said, scooping Klaus up into her arms.

“Kristoff, do you need help with Sven?” 

Kristoff shook his head. “No, we’ve got some catching up to do. Go on ahead, I’ll be in soon.” 

Hunter slipped up beside Erika. “What does he mean ‘catching up’?” he whispered. “He can’t talk to Sven…can he?” 

Erika laughed. “Sometimes we wonder.”

* * *

Everyone was soon gathered in one of the sitting rooms, next to a hurriedly-stoked fire. Erika leaned down and pulled off one of her thick leather boots, sighing in relief as she stretched her toes. She did the same with the other foot, one eye on Sindri as he bumped his face against her cheek, annoyed at being dislodged from his perch.

“Sorry, little _bjørn_ ,” she murmured. “But I need to let my feet breathe.

Sindri huffed a cold breath into her ear, then pointedly flew over to Hunter and plopped onto his head, glaring at Erika until he draped a wing over his face and concealed it. Erika shook her head at the little bear’s antics.

“So you got the wand,” Kristoff said. “What happens now?”

“I think a better question would be how is Auradon going to retaliate against this,” Elsa said with a sigh. “We’ve removed their only possible way to send us to the Isle, for now. But I wouldn’t put it past them to start looking for another option.” She set her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands. “The way I see it, Auradon has two approaches they could take. The one that I think is more likely is the one they’ve been holding onto this whole time- keeping things quiet. They don’t want any other kingdoms seeing what Arendelle’s done and copying it. That would lead to their downfall. Their empire would crumble. So they’ve been keeping things hushed, hoping to wrap everything up nicely- Erika and I on the Isle, you and -Anna on the throne, and Arendelle nothing more than a conquered territory of Auradon. That’s their happy ending.”

“What’s the second approach?” Anna asked.

“There’s a chance this little adventure could have pushed Beast too far,” Elsa replied. “It’s no secret that he gets angry. I think he's probably furious that we snuck in and stole the wand right out from under his nose, possibly even sprung a trap he’d set for us- and made off with the bait, too. We may have made him so angry that he won’t worry about the consequences and what the other kingdoms will do, and simply charge in and try to crush Arendelle beneath his foot.”

“But Beast isn’t the king anymore,” Erika pointed out. “He passed the crown to Ben. And Ben’s a lot more level-headed.”

“True, but he’s also very heavily influenced by his family, particularly his father...and Mal,” Elsa said. “They could put enough pressure on him that he’ll declare war on Arendelle, even if he doesn’t want to. Erika, you and I are strong. So is the rest of our kingdom. I think we could hold out against Auradon if we had to. But it would cost our kingdom dearly.” 

“The alternative is worse,” Anna answered, drawing Arvik and Klaus close to her side. “Arendelle can’t declare war- Beast would take that as an excuse to throw everything he has at us. I think that all we can do is wait to see what Auradon does.”

The wait, however, didn’t last long.


	18. Against Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben considers whatever options he has to avoid war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I got asked if I would do another Auradon-perspective chapter, and I thought about it and decided it was a good idea. So, that’s what this one is.
> 
> I’m going to be updating every three days for a while, since I’m a bit behind schedule. That means next chapter is coming Saturday, and we’ll bounce back to Arendelle and Erika then. 
> 
> Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than usual...

Ben rested his head in his hands, frustration mounting by the second. He knew he couldn’t afford to get angry like this. But right now, anger was all he was feeling.

 _They broke in,_ his mind reminded him. _Slipped into my kingdom like criminals- no, not like criminals. They are criminals, now. Thieves. Stealing the only defense we had against them._

He just couldn’t figure out why they had done it. No one in Arendelle could use the magic wand, he was pretty sure. What would be the point of taking it?

Ben groaned and let his head come down on the table. It didn’t really help.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he jerked up to see Mal. He smiled at her as best he could and pulled out a chair for her. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she said, ignoring the chair and plopping down on the table. “Thinking about Arendelle?”

“I just don’t understand them,” Ben answered. “They don’t _need_ the wand. They have no _reason_ to take it. It’s like they’re taunting us, wanting us to declare war on them.”

“They’re not the only ones who want a war,” Mal warned him. “Your dad’s about one temper tantrum away from getting in a rowboat and heading over there himself. He broke a vase.”

Ben’s forehead hit the table again. “He didn’t go full Beast mode, did he?”

“Thankfully, no.” Mal kicked the leg of the chair she had ignored. “Close, though. Your mom’s with him right now.” She cocked her head. “What are you going to do?”

“The only thing I can do,” Ben said. “I’m going to send a letter to Arendelle. Ask them why they stole the wand, tell them to return it.”

Mal snorted. “Feel-good measure.”

“I don’t want a war.” Ben straightened up. “I don’t think Elsa does, either. I understand how they feel, although I think secession was a little drastic. Arendelle’s tiny. They don’t have the army we do, the resources we do- a war would cripple their kingdom.” He sighed. “But I can’t think just about what’s best for Arendelle. They did secede, after all- that’s not my job anymore. I have to think about what’s best for the rest of Auradon now.”

“And what is that?”

“My dad would say a war,” Ben said. “He would say that Auradon needs to stay powerful. I see where he’s coming from, Mal, but I just don’t feel right about it. I didn’t feel right about sending Hans and his son after them, and look how that turned out.”

“Well, I don’t want to know what Beast would say.” Mal hopped off the table and put an arm around his shoulder. “I want to know what you say.”

Ben didn’t answer at first, weighing all his options in his mind.

“I say,” he said finally, “that Uma’s still a threat. We can’t protect Auradon without the wand- and if she hears that it’s no longer secure in Auradon, she might go after it in Arendelle. We need to try to keep this as quiet as we can- if people know it’s gone, there could be widespread panic. So, I say that we should formally demand the wand’s return, without letting anyone know that the wand’s been stolen. If Arendelle refuses, I’ll authorize a small armed force to go in and try to take it. If that fails…” he sighed. “I-I don’t really have any choice but to declare Erika and Elsa public enemies of the Crown.”

“Not Anna?” Mal asked. “She was pretty obviously involved.”

Ben shook his head. “The laws of Auradon are very clear. Any royal declared a public enemy loses their claim to the throne- that’s why Evie isn’t really a princess, since her mother is no longer considered a queen. If I declared Anna a criminal, too, and Erika and Elsa were sent to the Isle, Arendelle would be left without a ruler, since Kristoff isn’t of the blood royal. I won’t do that to them- I won’t open them up for takeover like that.”

“I would, if it were me,” Mal said. “I’d even let Hans have his way and put him on their throne. _That_ would finalize our claim to Arendelle once and for all.”

Ben shook his head. “Arendelle’s a very traditional kingdom. They would hate being ruled by someone who isn’t from their kingdom and has no claim to their throne. If I did that, they’d full-on revolt. It’s ultimately better for Auradon to leave someone who has an actual claim to Arendelle’s throne in charge, even if we very closely monitor what they do. Then the people are happy, and Auradon stays united.”

“There’s just two obstacles in the way of that happy ending.”

Ben pushed back his hair and sighed. “I know.”

* * *

He should have seen the conversation with Beast coming, but somehow his father’s sudden appearance in his study still surprised him.

“Did Mal tell you my plan?” he asked, not looking up from the letter he was writing.

He heard his father pull out a chair and sit down. “You’re a much more careful king than I was,” Beast said.

Ben put down his pen. “I just try to think about every angle- what’s best for all the kingdoms, rather than just our own.”

“You have to realize, Ben, that I don’t want a war, either,” Beast said. “But the kingdoms are much stronger united than they are on their own. Ultimately, I believe the best thing- for all the kingdoms- is for Auradon to stay united. One group of kingdoms all together under the rule of one king.”

Ben remembered Erika telling him that they referred to him as the High King in Arendelle. He wondered if that was what was really best- imposing his own rule above the reign of each kingdom’s individual rulers. It sounded uncomfortably like an empire.

However, it also sounded safe. If Auradon was truly united, there would be no more secession, no more petty disagreements between kingdoms. Everything could be solved in the best way.

Ben shook his head. “It’s too much power for one person,” he said.

Beast sighed. “I understand that view. I don’t agree, but I understand. Can we at least agree that Arendelle cannot be allowed to remain independent?”

“I do agree with that,” Ben answered. “I’ve been wondering…what if we changed our tune a little? Even you have to admit that what you promised to do if they didn’t turn over Elsa and Erika was harsh. You essentially wanted to conquer them.”

“Go on.”

“Arendelle is a proud kingdom. They’re descended from warriors, after all. They _won’t_ be conquered. But they might be persuaded. What if we offered benefits their queen can’t give them? What if, instead of trying to scare them, we tried appeasing them?”

“What did you have in mind?” Beast actually looked interested in Ben’s idea.

Ben sighed. “I was thinking…we relax our rules a little. Not the ones outlawing magic, just the others. We let them have more of a say in things, we make more of an effort to find out about their culture, their traditions.”

Beast nodded.

“And,” Ben continued, swallowing, “we promise not to send Elsa to the Isle.”

Beast’s jaw dropped. “Have you gone insane? She’s proven herself to be far too dangerous!”

“Our fight is only with Erika,” Ben reasoned. “She’s the only one we need to punish. Arendelle will rally behind their queen, but I don’t think they’d be quite as loyal to their princess. Besides, it puts pressure on Elsa herself. She’ll be out of danger, but she’ll have to choose between sending her daughter to the Isle and crippling her kingdom with a war.”

Beast opened his mouth to argue, but Ben saw the exact moment it clicked in his head. “We’d see which one wins out in the end,” he said, gazing at his father to see the reaction.

Beast laughed suddenly. “What will Elsa choose to be in the end?” he asked aloud. “A mother, or a queen?”

Ben smiled and went back to writing his letter. His thoughts were still conflicted- he’d never come up with such a strategy before. He thought it was a little…devious. But he could see no other way to avoid a war than by forcing Elsa into a choice.

He wondered, as Beast left the room, which decision his father would make if he were in the position they were planning to push Elsa into.

He wondered, as he signed his name to the letter, which choice _he_ would make.


	19. Against Opponents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa visit the Ice Palace again, and Erika takes Hunter to see more of Arendelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is...four days late. Ugh. I started NaNoWriMo, and between that, some family stuff, and just chaos in general, I haven’t had as much writing time as I’d like. However, in order to meet my deadline, I absolutely HAVE to update every three days from now on, so it’ll be more regular starting now. 
> 
> Only six chapters!! We’re so close to the end of this book!

“You have it!” was the first thing out of Merlin’s mouth when Elsa and Erika entered the ice palace. The old wizard looked embarrassed. “My apologies. How was your journey, Your Majesty? Your Highness?”

“Eventful,” Elsa answered with a smile. “We ran into an…old enemy.”

“And brought back a new friend,” Erika added. 

Merlin’s eyebrows rose. “Indeed? All that in one trip to Auradon.” His gaze flickered to the magic wand in Elsa’s hand. “Mmm. A bit…ornate for my tastes, but a pretty tool, nonetheless. And Fairy Godmother has always been rather fond of decoration.” He held out one wrinkled hand. “May I?”

“Of course.” Elsa set the magic wand in his palm. Merlin adjusted his glasses and examined the wooden stick closely, hmm-ing and muttering to himself. Erika went over to the other rebels, who were grouped at the opposite end of the room.

“So who’s the new friend you mentioned, Princess?” Maui asked. 

Erika sighed and twisted her wrist, making herself a block of ice to sit on. “His name is Hunter,” she said. “He helped me break us out of a cell in the Auradon prison.” 

“Prison? Hold up,” Genie interrupted. “You were captured?”

“No, no,” Erika answered. “They hid the wand down there- although Mama thinks it was a trap set by Hans.” 

“Hans!” Four voice chorused in shock. 

Merlin turned around, leveling a severe glare at the little group. 

“Sorry,” Moana whispered. She lowered her voice. “That was who you ran into? How’d your mom hold up?”

Erika shuddered, remembering the look on Elsa’s face in the woods, and then the sick, almost deathly shade of her face in the cell. “She managed,” she replied. 

“How did Prince Not-So-Charming escape the Isle anyway?” Genie wanted to know, morphing into a rather unflattering caricature of Hans. Erika laughed. 

“Actually, Auradon released him in order to capture us,” she said. “Luckily, their plot failed…but it was close.” 

“What?!” they said together. Merlin glared again.

“That’s messed up,” Genie declared, changing into a ridiculous version of Beast and then back into himself almost before Erika could blink. “I mean, that is really twisted.” 

“Auradon must be getting really desperate,” Hercules commented, his face serious. “Remind me to warn Queen Elsa to be careful of what they try next.”

“You still haven’t told us about your new friend,” Moana broke in. “Who is this Hunter?”

Erika sighed and then just came out with it. “He’s Hans’ son.” 

This time, the loud chorus of voices wasn’t anything in particular, just a choir of shocked exclamations. Merlin gave them all a scathing glance, but seemed too engrossed in the wand to scold them. 

“And you brought him _back_ here?” Genie exclaimed. “Erika, honey, I love you, but that’s just really dumb.” A dunce cap appeared on his head. 

“He helped us!” Erika protested. “I trust him.” 

“Princess Erika, people aren’t always what they seem,” Hercules offered. “I should know. I mean, first I trusted Meg, and she turned out to be working for Hades. Then I trusted _Hades,_ and that got the love of my life temporarily killed.”

“I know, I know,” Erika said wearily. “Kristoff doesn’t trust Hunter, either. He’s been…civil, I guess, but colder than Mama’s snow.” She sighed. “Look, Hunter told me a lot of things- about the Isle, about his relationship with Hans, about Auradon. There are things he knows that we don’t- things we _need_ to know. You didn’t see the way he and Hans acted- it wasn’t like me and Mama. Hunter told me that he still loves his father, but I could tell just from the way Hans spoke to him that he doesn’t really care about his son. Hans uses everyone around him as a means to an end- people are just tools to him. He uses them to get what he wants- and that extends to his own son.”

The rebels were quiet for a moment. 

“I don’t trust this Hunter,” Moana said finally, “but I do trust you, Erika. If you say Hunter is trustworthy, then we’ll say no more about it. Right, boys?”

The others nodded, although Hercules and Genie still looked doubtful. 

“Thank you,” Erika replied, smiling again. “I’ll introduce you once this whole mess is over, before you return to your home kingdoms. I don’t-“

“She what?” Merlin’s loud exclamation interrupted her. The old wizard’s eyebrows were nearly up to his hairline as he rushed over to Erika and took her hand, half leading, half dragging her over to Elsa and the wand. “Princess, your mother tells me that you were able to break through one of Auradon’s barriers? A _magic_ barrier, no less?” 

“Um…” Erika glanced at Elsa. “Yes?” 

“Incredible! Fascinating! Why, I didn’t know something like that could be done!” Merlin seemed almost more excited over Erika breaking a barrier than he was over the magic wand itself. “How, if I may, did you do it?”

“I think I used my own magic to open it up,” Erika started, “and then I felt it sort of…going into me. It felt _hot,_ almost, and…and sort of dead, in a way.”

“Well, that isn’t surprising,” Merlin responded. “You see, my dear, magic always comes with a price. But the price is paid on both ends. For a spellcaster such as myself or the younger Maleficent, we must draw on magic that is alive, such as yours, though I imagine Mal uses the thimbleful of natural magic she possesses. But the price of using living magic is that, once it is contained and channeled into a spell such as the one that was used to create Auradon’s magic barriers, the magic dies. That is why a spell cannot be simply called back, as your snow and ice can. Only another spell can lift a spell.”

“But what about true love’s kiss?” Erika asked. 

“Ah, that is different,” Merlin explained. “That was a curse. Curses are dark spells, performed in such a way that the magic is forced to accept a certain thing, such as a spoken word or a kiss, in order to release it. See, when a spell is lifted, the magic dissipates, returns to its source- and it can be resurrected again, brought back to life and used once more. When a curse is broken, however, the magic used to make it dies forever. _Dark_ magic is dangerous, Princess Erika- but the darkest magic of all is dead.”

* * *

Merlin’s words haunted Erika all that afternoon. She hated thinking about the dangers of magic- it always made her doubt herself and what she could do. She knew she was dangerous, but she had come to terms with it. Still, there was always doubt. She finally forced the words out of her head, focusing instead on taking Hunter to see more of Arendelle.

“We’ll go to the marketplace first,” she decided. “That’s the best way to see a lot of Arendelle quickly.”

Hunter laughed. “From what I’ve seen so far, it’ll be amazing.”

The Arendelle marketplace was situated right on the fjord. It functioned as both a harbor for ships and a market, and it was always busy. 

“I really need to learn your language,” Hunter murmured as soon as they got in earshot of the marketplace. “I can’t understand _anyone_.”

“Sorry.” Erika blocked Sindri from flying off, patting her shoulder for the little bear to ride on. “If anyone talks to us, I can translate.”

“That’d be great,” Hunter said. “You think people will?” 

“If my friends are here, they’ll _definitely_ talk to us.” Erika grinned. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if we drew some attention.” 

She and Hunter started into the market. Erika was in her element, answering Hunter’s questions. He seemed curious about everything. “This is a lot different than the docks on the Isle,” he said once. “If we were there, we’d have been either beaten up or robbed by Uma’s gang.”

“No gangs here,” Erika assured him. “Everyone in Arendelle is pretty friendly. Oh, there’s someone I know!” She hadn’t expected Wandering Oaken to be in the marketplace, but there he was. She pulled Hunter over. 

“Yoo-hoo, princess!” Oaken called, grinning wide. “And princess’s friend.” 

Erika translated for Hunter, and then in the Arendelle language, explained that Hunter was new to Arendelle and that she was showing him around. 

“Oh, yah, yah, welcome, Hunter!” Oaken’s grin could not possibly have been any wider. “You want to look around my shop, yah? I have swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention, yah?” 

“Why is he selling that when it’s almost winter?” Hunter whispered when Erika translated. 

“That’s Oaken for you,” Erika answered. 

“Where you from, Hunter?” Oaken asked next. 

“Uh…” Hunter stalled, throwing Erika a panicked glance.

Erika winced. They hadn’t quite figured out how to explain to the people that Hunter was Hans’ son. 

“I’m so sorry, Oaken,” she broke in quickly, “but we have to keep going. We have a lot to see today.”

She took Hunter’s hand and led him away from the stall.

“Bye-bye!” Oaken called.

“Okay, we have got to figure out what to tell people who ask that,” Erika said. 

Hunter toyed with the edge of his sleeve. “Maybe we should just tell them the truth. I don’t want you to lose the trust of your people by lying to them.”

“Are you sure?” Erika frowned. “Things could get hard for you if people find out you’re Hans’ son. He’s not well-liked around here.”

“I probably dealt with worse on the Isle,” Hunter replied, shrugging. “I’m serious, Erika. You and your mom have enough to worry about without trying to keep your people’s trust. If someone asks where I’m from, just...tell them next time. I can handle it.”

Erika ran a hand through the end of her braid. “If you’re sure.”

Hunter gave her a smile. “I’m sure.”

“Sorry in advance if people are a little...brusque with you,” Erika said. “They really hated Hans after they found out that he tried to take over. They’re probably going to be pretty suspicious of you until they get used to the idea of you being here.”

“I’ve been getting used to not being trusted,” Hunter replied, wincing a little. “Your uncle’s been...”

“I’ve noticed.” Erika’s hands went to her arms again, her fingers running over the sequins on her hoodie. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t blame him,” Hunter said. “My dad tried to kill his wife, after all. Besides, it’s not like he’s threatened me or anything. He just doesn’t trust me.” He tilted his head, frowning slightly. “Why do you always do that with your hoodie when you feel uncomfortable?”

“What?” Erika blinked in surprise, dropping her hands on instinct. “You could tell that’s when I do it?”

Hunter nodded.

“I think it’s a habit I picked up when I was at school in Auradon,” Erika said. “I wasn’t allowed to use my magic very much, so when I was upset, I touched the sequins on my hoodie. I kept them covered in ice, so it let me feel something cool. Now I just do it when my emotions get too much to handle.”

“You don’t like showing what you’re feeling,” Hunter observed.

“No,” Erika admitted. “I used to. But after being told to keep my magic, my feelings, under control...after they said I would hurt my kingdom if I used it...it just doesn’t feel right to _feel_ , if that makes sense. I don’t keep it bottled up, like I did in Auradon. I talk to Mama, or _magisk_ , sometimes.”

“ _Magisk_?” Hunter asked curiously.

“My magic,” Erika explained. “I can talk to it, and it...it doesn’t exactly _talk_ back. It’s more like we think to each other.”

Hunter thought about that for a moment, and then said, “No offense, Erika, but that’s _terrifying._ ”

Erika felt a swell of laughter in her chest and let it out. “I guess it is when you think about it.”

“Princess!” One of the servants dashed up to them, panting. “You...needed...at the castle,” he wheezed. “Queen said...hurry.”

“Is something wrong?” Erika asked quickly.

“No,” the man said. “I mean yes. I mean...” He sighed, looking frustrated with himself. “There’s a letter, Princess. For you and your mother. And it’s from Auradon.”


	20. Against All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa take steps to hinder Auradon, and Elsa formally announces war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so late, oh my word. I have to start updating every other day now in order to get my deadline done. It’s gonna be tough to handle, especially trying to tackle school and NaNoWriMo on top of it, but I think I can manage. 
> 
> We’re down to the wire now! Five chapters left!!

The second Erika burst into the sitting room with Hunter in tow, she could tell that something had gone very, very wrong.

Anger practically bled from Elsa. The veins of magic Erika could see in her body were stained redder than blood. She had never seen her mother so furious, even in Auradon.

“Mama?” she asked. “What happened? What did the letter say?”

“It’s the same as the last,” Elsa spat. “Beast wants to take my daughter from me a second time.”

“What?”

“He’s offered a deal,” Elsa answered, tossing a heavy piece of paper onto the table. “We return the wand and hand you over to him, and he doesn’t declare war. We refuse, and he brings his whole army down on our heads.”

Erika sat down in a chair, magisk seeming to grow and expand inside her until all she could hear was the roaring in her ears and its soft, not-quite-whispered voice. I will keep you safe.

“I know what he’s doing,” Elsa said, anger twisting her lips into a thin line. “He’s built a cage for me, and he’s using you to force me into it. He thinks I won’t risk war?” She banged her fist against the table. “I will risk war, the Isle, everything to keep my daughter safe!”

A red icicle started to bloom where Elsa’s fist had struck. Erika stared at it, remembering the time her own red spike had appeared on the table in the Auradon Prep library. “Mama,” she said, “this is too clever for Beast. He wouldn’t waste time asking for things. He’d storm in with his army and take them, and me with them.”

Elsa’s brow furrowed. “You’re right,” she said. “You’re right, Erika. This is Ben’s doing, or Mal’s. Beast has had a hand in it, I’m sure. But he hasn’t been working alone.” 

Erika sighed. “What do we do?”

“Everything we can,” Elsa answered. “I’m not even going to answer this letter.” She picked it up and looked over it one last time. “Let them come, if they dare. Let them come, if they wish to challenge a people descended from the Vikings. Let them come, if they challenge magic itself!” 

She flung the letter into the fireplace, watching it burn, ice on her hands. Erika’s own magic was hurling itself against her fingers, begging her to let it out, use it, do something.

_ Soon, _ she promised it.  _ Soon. _

“I’ve never seen you so battle-ready,” Anna said to Elsa, smiling. 

“They’ve threatened Erika one too many times,” Elsa answered, her smile more grim than her sister’s. “Now, they’ll deal with her mother.” She turned to Erika. “I have an idea on how to slow Auradon down.”

“What are we going to do?” 

Elsa waved her hand and dissipated the icicle on the table. “Freeze the fjord. That should slow down their ships long enough for us to tell the people what’s going on and make some kind of plan on how to deal with a war that Arendelle isn’t prepared for.”

“What if they break the ice?” Anna asked.

“It buys us time, at least,” Elsa said. She sighed. “I never thought I would be the ruler who led this kingdom to war with Auradon.”

“ _ Through  _ war,” Anna corrected. “You’ll see us through this, Elsa. I know you will.”

Elsa gave her sister a half smile.

Anna came with them down to the fjord. “Do we have any trade ships coming?” Elsa asked her. “I don’t want to hurt anyone innocent.”

“Nothing as far as I know,” Anna answered. “Stop worrying about hurting people. The only thing you and Erika need to be focused on now is protecting this kingdom.”

Elsa nodded and then turned to Erika. “Ready?”

she asked.

“Born ready,” Erika replied.

She steadied her feet on the rocky shore. She had frozen this water once before, when she had come walking back to Auradon on the waves. Elsa, too, had used this as a frozen pathway to flee from Arendelle years ago. Now, they would freeze the fjord again, but not as a path- this time, it would be a barricade. 

She stretched out her hand, breathed deep, and let it go.  _ Magisk  _ jumped from her hand with a cry of excitement that only she could hear, sending its black self spiraling down to the water and touching its surface, just lightly. 

“How deep are we going, Mama?” Erika asked.

Elsa’s white ice blended with her own black as the queen answered. “As deep as we can.”

The fjord froze slowly. It was a deep channel, deep enough for large ships, and so the work was harder than it would have been had they only frozen the surface layer. They sent the ice down about half the depth, not wanting to harm the fish and creatures underneath the water. It was still plenty thick enough to stop Auradon’s ships in their tracks. 

Erika let  _ Magisk  _ go free, pouring out her magic on the fjord. The ice swirled together in strange, almost moving patterns, curls of black and white. She had expected it to turn gray, for some reason.

“They’ll know it was me,” she said, gesturing to the black ice.

“What can they do?” Elsa responded. “We have every card we’ve been able to take. We have the wand, and we have magic. Beast has forbidden the very weapon he could use to defeat us.” She sighed. “I don’t want a war. He has to know that. I’m afraid of what war would do to our people. But I have no choice now.” Her blue eyes turned steely. “He’s threatened you too much. Beast should know- a mother whose child is in danger is more dangerous than any warrior.”

“Will the people stand with us?” Erika asked.

“They chafed under Auradon’s rule as much as we did,” Elsa said. “Arendelle takes their freedom seriously. And they will fight fiercely to defend it, although I still have some hope there will only be a small skirmish and not a full-blown battle. You and I together can take more than a few Auradon troops. And we have the magic wielders on our side, too, although I don’t want to reveal them until the last possible second, and only if I have to.” She finally lowered her arms, glancing over the fjord. “There. A good work, isn’t it?”

Erika couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the frozen water. As far as she could see, the fjord was locked in by marbled black and white ice. It was pretty and dangerous all at once.

“Now what?” she asked.

Elsa sighed. “Now, we go announce to the people that we are, as of today and Beast’s letter, at war.”

* * *

They had to wear their royal outfits for such an important announcement. Erika took her hair down and set her jeweled tiara atop it, using the little crown to hide Sindri on the top of her head. The tiny bear, for once, wasn’t sleeping- he was wide awake, looking around with his shiny blue eyes. “Just stay on my head,” she begged him. “This is really important.” 

Sindri sneezed and looked at Erika as if to say, “Who, me?”

“Yes, you,” she answered.

“Talking to Sindri again?” Hunter stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable in what were obviously borrowed clothes. His eyebrows shot up. “Wow. You really look like a princess today.” 

Erika, strangely enough, felt a flush of cold as her cheeks reddened. “I’d rather be wearing my hoodie.”

Hunter laughed. “Hoodie and tiara. Perfect combination.” He gestured to the little jeweled crown. “Have you always had that?”

“Yes,” Erika replied. “I’m crown princess. It’s not an official crown- not like Mama’s. I’ll only get that when I become queen, which hopefully won’t be for a good, long time. But I have to have something to show that I’m royalty. It’s tradition.” 

“Are you looking forward to being queen?” was Hunter’s next question.

“Not really,” Erika admitted, deciding at the last second to leave her shoes behind. Her skirt would hide them anyway. “I’m ready for it, and I know I’ll be able to do it. But I’m not excited for it. Not with what it means.” 

“Oh.” Now it was Hunter’s turn to redden. “Sorry. I didn’t mean-“

“It’s all right,” Erika interrupted. She kicked her shoes under the bed. “Ready to go?” 

Hunter nodded, offering her his arm with a teasing grin. She laughed and accepted. 

Once again, it seemed nearly all of Arendelle was packed into the courtyard. Not for a goodbye this time, but for the solemn announcement of war. Elsa wore her crown, dressed in her dark blue dress, its white fur trim making her face seem paler. She gave Erika and Hunter a strained smile when they stepped out of the palace. Kristoff did the same for Erika, but she caught the glare he tossed at Hunter. 

Elsa sighed, glanced to the clouds for half a second, and then turned to the crowd. “People of Arendelle,” she said, her voice clear but heavy as she spoke. Erika began whispering translations to Hunter. 

“Thank you all for coming,” Elsa continued. “I know it was short notice, and you’ve left your work and business to come hear me today.” She made a little curtsy. “Thank you all.” She sighed again. “This morning, I received a letter from Auradon.”

That sent whispers through the crowd. 

“King Ben, and his father, Beast, have given me a choice,” Elsa said. “They have given you a choice as well. You all know that recently, Princess Erika, Princess Anna, and I went on a journey to Auradon, a journey we nearly didn’t return from, in order to steal Fairy Godmother’s magic wand. That has put us firmly on the list of Auradon’s enemies. The letter I received this morning demanded the return of the wand. In exchange for turning it over, Auradon has offered to relax their rules on magic, and to allow me to remain Queen. However, in return for this, I must also turn over my daughter, Crown Princess Erika, to be sent to their Isle of the Lost. Due to Erika’s magic, that is virtually a death sentence for her.” She dipped her head for a moment, and when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes. “I do not wish to make this decision without you, my people. I would not endanger your lives in a war without speaking to you first.” She stepped forward. “I ask you now, my people, to decide. If you choose to keep Arendelle safe, under Auradon’s rule, and with laxer rules of conquest than Beast has promised us before, you may say so. There will be no consequence for this. If the majority of you would rather-“ she flinched- “I will do as Auradon commands.”

“ _ What?”  _ Hunter hissed as soon as Erika translated. “Your own mother would-“

Erika shook her head. “I trust Mama, and I trust the citizens of Arendelle. It’ll be all right.”

“If, however,” Elsa said, her voice stronger now, “you choose, I will not answer Auradon. Our two kingdoms will go to war. I will be honest with you: this is the harder path.” She spread her hands. “This is what I ask of you, Arendelle: choose.” 

Silence fell. 

Then, a burly man stepped forward, clutching a little girl to his side. “I couldn’t imagine being forced to make that choice,” he said roughly. “But I know what I’d choose. How could any one of us sacrifice our hero princess just to take the easier way out? And how would I be sure that Auradon wouldn’t hurt my little Tove?” He pounded a fist against his chest and then held it straight out towards the sky. “I stand with the queen and the princess! I stand for Arendelle! And if that means war, then war is what I will fight in!” 

That was all it took. Tears stung Erika’s eyes as man after woman after man stepped forward and pledged their loyalty to her, and to her mother, and to Arendelle. 

A man she didn’t recognize was one of the last to come to the front. “I swear allegiance to Arendelle,” he said. “I simply have one question.”

Without warning, he pointed to Hunter. “Who is that boy?”


	21. Against Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The people of Arendelle learn who Hunter is; Elsa has one last talk with Ben to try for peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, this isn’t late, since I did write this yesterday, I just didn’t post it because it was two am by the time I finished. (Nope, it’s late.) Oh, well. I’m still going to be posting another chapter tomorrow.
> 
> This one...bugs me. I would have really liked to show more of how the people react to Hunter, but I absolutely had to fit Ben in there, and I didn’t have any wiggle room left. So in the end I just smashed the two together, and it kinda worked, but I wish I’d had enough chapters to make those two parts separate ones. Oh, well.
> 
> Four chapters, you guys!!!

Erika gasped and shot a panicked look at Hunter. He was frowning, likely because he hadn’t understood the words. “What did he say?” 

Erika swallowed and clenched her fists to stop her fingers from reaching for her sleeves, knowing her familiar sequins were not there. “He, um...he asked who you are.”

Hunter’s eyes slid closed for half a second. He opened them and looked at her. “It’s okay. Tell them.” A crooked smile appeared on his face. “What’s the worst they can do, insult me in a language I can’t understand?”

Erika returned his smile, though it was strained. She stepped forward, only a half step behind her mother. “This is Hunter,” she said. “He helped us get out of Auradon.”

“Who is he, Princess?” the man pressed. 

Erika took a deep breath and told her people the truth. “Hunter is Hans’ son.”

Instantly, the crowd’s atmosphere turned to outrage. Their anger turned from Auradon to Hunter, and though he couldn’t understand the vast majority of what they were saying, Erika could tell from the look on his face that he understood the way the words were spoken loud and clear. 

“Everyone, please!” Elsa was trying her best to calm the people down, but they still held Hans in strong hatred after what he had done, and that apparently extended to his son, as well. Erika stepped back into her place next to Hunter, but didn’t translate what the people were saying. 

“He’s dangerous!” one woman yelled. “He could betray us!”

That gave Elsa the opening she needed. “Am I not dangerous as well?” she asked, half shouting to be heard. “Is my daughter not dangerous? You all know that Erika froze Auradon’s school. Most, if not all of you, remember that I nearly plunged the world into an eternal winter.”

The crowd finally quieted at that, watching Elsa intently. The queen lowered her voice. “You all have accepted me as your queen, despite the danger I pose. You rejoiced when you heard that Erika had inherited my powers, despite the fact that she is just as dangerous as I am, if not more. Why will you not do the same for Hunter? He is the son of our greatest enemy, yes. But Erika and I are daughters of magic- and that can be as much of an enemy as a scheming prince.” 

Arendelle’s people were, by and large, hotheaded. But they were not cruel. Erika knew what their reaction would be before it started happening. Hunter would, for awhile, be treated with suspicion, and there were perhaps a few who might be unkind. But, eventually, he would be accepted. 

“If the queen trusts this boy,” said Lieutenant Mattias, stepping out of the crowd, “then we should do the same.” 

About half of the people nodded assent. The other half still looked skeptical, but Erika knew Hunter would not be hurt, at least. 

Elsa sighed. “Thank you, my friends. I know I have asked many hard things of you today, and there are harder times on the horizon. The princess and I have frozen the fjord, to stop Auradon’s ships in their tracks.” She then said something that surprised even Erika. “However, their king has asked to meet with us, one final attempt to stop this war.” She held up a hand before the crowd could explode into anger again. “He has sworn to come alone, and we will have three days after his visit to make our decision, if we cannot reach it today. If we decide to go to war, then the three days will still be honored.”

“Mama!” Erika said softly, shocked. “You’ve agreed to meet with Beast?”

“No,” Elsa answered. “Ben. I already sent a sleigh for him, since we blocked his ships. He’s asked to speak with only you and I.” 

Erika’s fingers went back to her sleeves again. She did  _ not  _ like the idea of talking with Ben. But at the same time, she knew their kingdom might not be ready for a war with Auradon. She knew how much her mother dreaded leading their kingdom into war. 

Elsa was finishing her speech as Erika pulled her mind back to the present. She turned to Hunter. “Are you all right?”

Hunter nodded, although his green eyes were troubled. “I’m fine. That would have gone so much worse on the Isle.” His slight smile returned. “So, you have to talk with Ben.”

“I’m glad it’s not Beast,” Erika said, shivering slightly. “I’ve seen him before, and he scares me.” She stared off at the frozen fjord. “He was the one who did it, you know.”

“Did what?”

“Made Mama promise to send me to his school. He was the one who forced her into that.” She flinched. “I never knew he even tried to send Mama to the Isle until I overheard him talking with Ben in the library.”

“Ben’s easier to deal with,” Hunter said. “It’ll be okay.”

Erika smiled ruefully, reaching up to pull Sindri off of her head. “I’m sure you’re right.”

* * *

From the very first moment of the promised meeting, Erika knew it would be different than the one with Mal. Ben had, as promised, brought no escort with him. He treated Elsa with respect, unlike Mal’s brash, bordering on rude way. It was a meeting of royals.

He refused, however, to acknowledge Erika.

Elsa spoke the Auradon language, this time, so Erika had no need to translate. She, for her part, maintained an icy silence. If Ben was going to give her the cold shoulder, she would return the favor.

A small part of her felt guilty for it. She knew Ben, technically, had good reason for distrusting her. She had, after all, frozen Auradon Prep. _But you had good reason to do it,_ _magisk_ assured her. _Is it not right for you, who was once hostage in Auradon, to not wish to speak to the king of that place? The one whose father was responsible for it?_

_ Yes,  _ Erika thought back,  _ but I also understand why Ben doesn’t want to speak to me. _

He had no qualms speaking about her, however. “You understand, Queen Elsa, that my people are far more frightened of your daughter than they are of you,” he said gravely. “They call her a villain, but that title has so far not been extended to you, officially. If you insist on keeping the wand, however…” he let the words hover in the air.

“You make a strong case,” Elsa replied. “But I have heard from my daughter that I have been called a villain in Auradon longer than even she has- and that was part of the reason she became one, to your kingdom, in the first place.” She glanced over at Erika, making sure Erika had not missed the subtle detail she had slipped into her sentence. Erika smiled. She had caught her mother’s meaning- Erika was only a villain to Auradon, never to Arendelle. 

Ben winced. “I really don’t want this war,” he said. “I would rather things go back to the way they were.”

“Then we have a problem,” Elsa answered, her voice flat. “Because I will do whatever it takes to make sure they do not.” 

“I meant with Arendelle returning to be part of Auradon.”

“Never. My people have tasted freedom again, true freedom. They will not stand for it being taken from them a second time, even if I were to agree.”

“Auradon never meant to take your freedom away,” Ben said. “You have to understand that. The rules were put in place to protect all the kingdoms, even Arendelle, from magic. It’s a dangerous force. It can’t be controlled, so it must be contained.”

“Your own father,” Elsa replied, her voice turning sharp, “was resurrected from the dead through magic. He would not be alive without it. And he repays that by trying to eradicate it.” She shook her head. “The fact remains, Ben, that you cannot touch Erika, even if I were to agree to hand her over to you. She is a princess of the blood royal. She has diplomatic immunity.”

“That only reaches so far,” Ben said wearily. “And I have already declared her a criminal. In Auradon’s eyes, at least, she has been stripped of her royal status.” He locked his gaze with Elsa’s. “Yours, however, still remains.” 

“Arendelle’s princess,” Elsa answered, “does not care if Auradon considers her one or not.”

Erika flashed her mother a smile.  _ My thoughts exactly. _

“Cut to the chase, Ben,” Elsa went on. “What is it I must do in order to prevent a war?”

Ben sighed, reaching up to adjust the heavy gold crown on his head. Erika couldn’t help thinking that it looked rather clumsy next to her mother’s small, tiny one of ice and jewels. Her mother had never worn a gold crown since she had tossed it away on the day she had fled her coronation ball. 

“After a long,  _ long  _ talk with my father,” Ben said, grimacing slightly, “we have reduced our demands down to only two. One, you must return the magic wand to us. Two, you must allow us to take Erika to the Isle of the Lost.”

“No,” said Elsa, “and no again. If I were to return the wand, it would be used to send either Erika, or both of us, to the Isle. I will not return it, not until I have found some way to stop it from ever doing so. As for your second demand-“ she shifted in her chair. “I have given my daughter into Auradon’s hands once already. It very nearly killed her, to hold her magic back for so long. I will not send her into that a second time.” She straightened her shoulders. “Your answer is no, on both counts.”

Erika expected that to be the end of the conversation, but for the second time that day, she was surprised. 

“Very well,” Ben said, his voice heavy, and Erika knew that he truly regretted not being able to come to a peaceful conclusion. “And you, Queen Elsa? What would Auradon have to do in order to avoid a war?”

“Two terms,” Elsa answered. “Like yours. One, you will stop attempting to imprison my daughter- we do not care if you reinstate her royalty or not, what you claim her to be has no bearing on what she truly is. You can say that winter is summer all you like, but it will not change the facts.”

“Duly noted,” Ben said. “The second?”

“Two,” Elsa continued, “you will acknowledge Arendelle as a free and separate kingdom from Auradon, and you will never again attempt to lay claim to it, whether as one of your united kingdoms or as a conquest.” She rested her hands on her lap. “That is all.”

Ben sat in silence for a few moments. “I am sorry,” he said at last. “But my answer must also be no.”

Elsa nodded. “Then, as per our agreement,” she said, “we will meet again in three days as enemies.”

Ben held out his hand, and after a pause, Elsa leaned forward and clasped it. “I’m sorry,” Ben said, “that it had to come to this.”

“So am I,” Elsa answered. 

They watched him leave, his golden crown dulled by the cloudy day. “He will be a fine king,” Elsa remarked. “But never Arendelle’s.”

“He’s smarter than Beast,” Erika said, surprising a laugh out of her mother. “Beast wouldn’t have met with us. Or he would have used it to rage and shout and try to threaten us into obedience.” 

“Arendelle’s people can shout louder,” Elsa replied. She sighed, resting her chin in her hands. “I suppose there’s no turning back from now. We are going to war, whether we like it or not. I’m afraid for this kingdom, Erika. Can it truly stand up to such a strong force as Auradon?”

“We have something Beast doesn’t,” Erika said, laying a hand on her mother’s cool, pale arm. She opened her palm to reveal her signature snowflake, a coal-black little sculpture that rose off her hand to turn slowly above it. “We have magic.”


	22. Against Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Hunter, along with the rest of Arendelle, prepare for war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, I actually got this one out on the right day! This chapter’s a little tiny bit filler, since I didn’t want to just dive right into war immediately. That’s next chapter. 
> 
> I’ve got three chapters,  
> guys!! Just three! We’re so close to the end!

Three days. It seemed like a short time, but to Erika, it seemed like it would drag on and on. There was so much to get done, and yet the time seemed to move slower and slower every time she looked at the grandfather clock in the hall. Even the bells in the marketplace, the most reliable way they had to tell time, seemed to wait as long as they could before ringing. 

The palace was never still. Anna and Kristoff especially flew from palace to village and back again, making preparations and trying to come up with strategies. Auradon had the bigger force, but Arendelle was a hard kingdom to navigate if you didn’t know what you were doing. The towering mountains and ever-increasing cold would benefit Arendelle and hinder Auradon. They planned to use that as much as possible.

Elsa, however, was almost never seen. Erika knew she was up in the mountains with the rebels, trying to figure out a way to stop the wand from hurting them. She and Merlin were attempting everything they could, but nothing seemed to be working.

For her part, Erika felt an odd sense of calm. She practiced in the courtyard for hours on end, no longer making pretty sculptures and delicate patterns in frost. Erika, like Arendelle, was readying for war. Snowballs turned to icicle darts, sharp as blades, that she learned to shoot with as much accuracy as Mollie had shot her bow. She relied on  _ magisk  _ to help her- her magic’s not-quite-voice was clearer and louder than it had been even when she had been working to freeze the school. Something had happened to her when she had forced Auradon’s magic out of her body- she felt more in tune with her own than ever before. Perhaps it was only that Arendelle was sinking deeper into winter- another thing that favored them over Auradon- but Erika felt as if her two halves,  _ is  _ and  _ magisk _ , had become truly one. 

She closed her eyes and listened for her magic, letting it guide her.  _ Throw,  _ it directed her. She formed an icicle in the space of a second and shot it into the air.

“Whoa!”

Erika’s eyes flew open. “Hunter!” she gasped, hurriedly melting the icicle dart that held his sleeve to the wall. If she could have, she would have glared at her magic.  _ What did you have me do that for? _

_ Fun, _ her magic answered gleefully.

Erika rolled her eyes. “Sorry, Hunter.” 

“It’s fine,” her friend said. “You’ve got some good aim with those.” 

Erika blushed, feeling her face grow cold again. “It’s probably easier than learning to use a weapon that isn’t part of your body.”

“Probably,” Hunter agreed. “I’m not a bad fighter myself.”

“Really?” Erika looked at him in surprise.

Hunter shrugged. “Being the son of a disgraced prince has its perks. He taught me how to fight with a sword. I’m not that good, but I can hold my own.” 

“Where did you find swords on the Isle?” Erika asked curiously. 

“There’s all kinds of stuff there,” Hunter answered. “Everything Auradon doesn’t want goes there. That’s actually how some people make a living there- finding stuff and selling it. Jafar’s the most well-known, but he isn’t the only one.” 

Erika looked down at her arm, and created another icicle, similar to the one her mother had made to challenge Hans. She tried her best to make it look like a sword, then snapped it off, breathed frost over it, and tossed it to Hunter. “Care to practice?”

Hunter grinned, grabbed the sword, and almost immediately dropped it. “That’s  _ cold _ ,” he gasped. 

Erika blushed again. “Oops. You probably can’t fight with that.”

“Why don’t  _ you  _ use that one, and I’ll go track down an actual sword to use?” Hunter suggested. “I can show you a few sword moves, in case you need to use one during the battle.”

Erika nodded, and Hunter disappeared back into the castle. She picked up the fallen icicle-sword, testing its weight in her hand. She’d never tried sword fighting, usually relying only on her magic to help her fight. Hunter had had a good idea.

_ The battle _ . That was the first time she’d heard anyone mention the fact that, the day after tomorrow, Auradon and Arendelle would in all likelihood clash in what was hopefully not a full attack. She knew Beast would send in his entire army if he were in charge, but Ben would be more cautious and clever. He would most likely use only a small group. They planned to use a small group, too- but Erika and Elsa would be wielding their magic full force. That was their hope, anyway. 

Something  _ thunked  _ gently onto her head, and she looked up, startled, to see Hunter standing there, grinning and with a sword in his hand. “Ready?” he asked. “Or do you want to keep daydreaming or whatever it was you were doing?”

Erika shook off her thoughts and returned Hunter’s grin. “I’m ready. Swords only, no magic?”

_Not wise,_ _magisk_ huffed. 

_ Don’t be such a wet blanket,  _ Erika told it.  _ It’s just sparring. I’ll be fine. And if something does go wrong, you’ll be there to help. Just don’t overreact if Hunter wins- which he’s probably going to do. _ She turned back to her friend. 

“Let’s go.”

Hunter’s grin widened, and without a single word of warning, he charged. 

Erika barely had time to raise her icicle before he slammed his sword down on it. She was suddenly glad she had permafrosted it- otherwise, the sharp steel of his sword might have sunk too deeply into the ice and pulled it right out of her grip. That, or she would have been able to twist his sword from his hand.  _ Stop thinking,  _ she chided herself,  _ and start fighting! _

She sidestepped, bringing her icicle up, ready for Hunter’s next move. She had decided to let him take the offensive for now while she played defense- then, when she had a chance, she would attack. 

Hunter was all too willing to go on the offense. He took a step back, raised his sword, and brought it around in a side sweep that Erika just barely managed to catch on the tip of her icicle. She steadied her breathing, her eyes darting from Hunter’s feet to his eyes, trying to guess what his next move might be. But Hunter didn’t give her the chance. He kept going, bringing his sword up, down, and overhead, keeping Erika hard pressed to block each stroke. 

Finally, she spotted it- a shift of his feet towards her, and a tightening of his hands on his sword hilt.  _ He’s going to try an overhead blow,  _ her mind told her, and almost before she could think about it, she brought her icicle-sword up over her own head, blocking Hunter just as his sword came down. The steel bounced off the ice, nearly sending Hunter off-balance. 

“Good move,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you absolutely sure that you’ve never sword-fought before?”

“Positive,” Erika answered, grinning. 

Hunter returned her smile. “Ready to go again?”

“Sure.”

She was the one who went on the attack this time, wrapping her fingers around the vase of her icicle sword and charging at Hunter. He countered her blow and made a thrust towards her stomach, which she only dodged by jumping back. Hunter held up his hand. “Hold on. Can you ice the end of my sword or something? I don’t want to hurt you if I accidentally stab you or some other disaster. I think your uncle-  _ onkel _ \- would kill me.”

“Good pronunciation,” Erika said, taking hold of the end of his sword and forming a blunt, round bubble on the end of it to stop the point from piercing anything. “I’m only going to frost it halfway, to stop it from melting,” she said. “That way I can take it off afterwards.”

Hunter nodded. “Good idea.”

Erika took a deep breath and blew out a stream of her permafrost, directing it over the upper half of her little bubble. “That won’t melt for a bit in this weather,” she told him, glancing up at the cloudy sky. “Actually, we shouldn’t be out here too much longer- we might be in for the first blizzard of the year.”

“How much longer do we have?” Hunter asked.

Erika scoffed. “Arendelle’s winter is as temperamental as they come. It could be five minutes, it could be five hours.” 

“We better hurry then, hmm?” Hunter swung his sword up and down a few times. 

“Right.”

Hunter and Erika clashed again, Hunter gaining the advantage. Erika held her own, but she just didn’t have the knowledge Hunter did. Sword fighting was something she’d never done, and it showed. She was struggling by the time the clouds darkened to nearly black.

Finally, Hunter held up his hand. “We’d better call it a draw,” he said, gesturing upward. “I haven’t been in Arendelle long, but I’m pretty sure that’s what a blizzard looks like.”

Erika took one look at the sky and nodded. “That’s going to unleash any second. Come on.”

They made their way across the courtyard and back into the palace. Servants bustled everywhere, stoking the several large fireplaces that kept the place heated.

“I forgot you don’t have heating systems,” Hunter said, wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “Or running water. Or anything like that.”

“You had all of that on the Isle?” Erika said, surprised. 

Hunter nodded. “It didn’t work half the time, but we had it.”

“Mama won’t let Auradon use their technology here,” Erika explained. “We’re not as bad as Camelot, though- they’re fully medieval.” 

Hunter ducked into one of the rooms and held out his hands to the flames for a moment. “Your mom’s all right with fires everywhere, even with her ice?”

Erika shrugged. “It’s just her and I that can’t stand heat. We have  _ Tante  _ Anna,  _ Onkel  _ Kristoff, and their boys in the palace, plus all the servants. That’s a lot more people than just us two. So we just use ice to cool ourselves down when it gets too hot.” She thought of the coat of frost she’d used in Auradon. Her  _ magisk _ , running freely through her blood, had seemed to render that unnecessary, chilling her body from the very veins. Did it work the same way for her mother?

Elsa, it turned out, was back from the mountain, relaxing in one of the sitting rooms. She looked tired. 

“Did you find a way to stop the wand from transporting us?” Erika asked, plopping down at her mother’s feet and drawing her legs up to her chest. Hunter went to sit down nearer the roaring fire. 

Elsa shook her head. “Merlin and I tried everything we could think of. He thinks dark magic could do it, put a specific curse on it to prevent it from targeting the two of us, but we’ve got no way to do it- all of the dark magic users were confined to the Isle of the Lost.” She sighed. “We don’t want to have to break it, but it’s starting to look like that’s the only option.”

“Break it?” Erika was surprised. “You can break a magic wand?”

“They’re just wood,” Elsa answered. “They can snap pretty easily. The magic in them makes it harder, but you can break it.” She sighed. “That’s only a last resort, though. If we keep it, Auradon won’t stop trying to get it back. And soon, someone will be able to do what we did, steal it back, and then it’s the Isle for us. We have to either block it permanently from transporting us, or destroy it.”

Erika stared into the flames. “We have two days left,” she said softly. “Is that enough time to come up with a plan?”

Elsa sighed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands. “You know, Erika,” she replied wearily, “I think we’ve finally run out of time.”


	23. Against Auradon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write! We are SO CLOSE now, guys- two chapters left! And I have good news and bad news- good news is, instead of doing a thousand-word epilogue, I have enough left to get through that I’m doing a two-thousand final chapter instead. Bad news is...that two-thousand-word final chapter will end on a cliffhanger. Sorry...
> 
> Shoutout to BriEva again for giving me the fighting on ice skates idea, and shoutout to her and F for the snowman army idea, which will show up in the next two chapters.

Nothing felt different when the third day dawned. Erika got up as usual, changed from her nightclothes into her hoodie and a pair of pants, and started to braid her hair. It was while she was in the middle of brushing it out that she gasped and dropped the brush, a chill that had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with fear running down her spine. 

_ It’s been three days.  _

She abandoned her hair, crashing through her bedroom door. Sindri swooped after her, making worried chirps. She paused only a moment to let him nestle in her hair- Sindri was fast, but not fast enough to catch up to her when she was tearing down the hall at her quickest pace. 

“Mama!” she cried out, bursting into her mother’s room.

Elsa was up, and from the looks of it, she had been for awhile. Like Erika, she was dressed in her most functional clothes- pants and a tunic. Her face was tense, but she smiled when she saw Erika. “This is it,” she said. 

“I wasn’t scared before, but I am now,” Erika confessed. “I’m terrified. Look.” She plucked Sindri from her head and held him out- the tiny bear’s wings were as yellow as fall leaves. 

“It’s all right to be scared,  _ datter, _ ” Elsa assured her, drawing her into a hug. 

“Are they here?” Erika asked, looking up into Elsa’s face. 

The queen nodded. “I received word a few hours ago. Five ships are anchored a few miles out from the fjord.” She sighed, wiping a hand across her face. “I think they’ll try to come across the ice we made- which will slow their progress far more than if they could sail their ships right into the harbor. But they will still come.” 

“We can’t melt it, or the ships will come through,” Erika said. “We’ll have to meet them on the ice. That will favor us, but the numbers will give them an advantage.”

“We’ll set out for the fjord as soon as Kristoff comes back,” Elsa decided.

“Where did he go?”

“He took Arvik and Klaus up to the mountain- the magic-users will take care of them,” Elsa told her. “He and Anna don’t want them in harm’s way, though I doubt the battle will reach to the castle.”

“Do we have an army?” Erika asked next.

“Arendelle’s formal army is small,” Elsa replied, “but they’re ready. And the people are, too- most even have their own weapons. Pickaxes, hatchets, pitchforks-“ she laughed a little, a bitter sound. “We’ll look like a rabble compared to Auradon’s uniforms, but the people know what they’re fighting for. When it comes down to a clash of conquest or freedom, freedom will always fight harder.”

“What about the magic-users? Will they help in the fight?”

Elsa shook her head. “I didn’t want to have them labeled as traitors unnecessarily. They want to fight, but I know what that could do to them and their kingdoms. I couldn’t convince them to stay on the mountain altogether, but I managed to make them promise that they’ll only come if things turn ugly and we desperately need them. There’ll be a signal.”

“Which is?”

“My snowflake,” Elsa responded. “I’ll shoot it up like a flare if we really get into trouble. They’ll be watching for it- though I pray they won’t see it.” 

Erika blew out a long breath. “It all ends today, doesn’t it?”

“I think so,” Elsa answered, a rueful smile on her face. “Unless there’s another battle. Which I doubt. Either we’ll lose today, or we’ll win. Whichever outcome happens, it’ll be today that decides how this war goes.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Anna’s voice called out, “Elsa? Is Erika with you?”

“Yes,” Elsa said.

“Kristoff is back. The sled’s waiting in the courtyard, and so is the army.” 

Erika and Elsa exchanged glances. “Well, no sense putting it off,” Elsa breathed. “We’d best get down there.”

“When I froze Auradon Prep, I thought that would be the biggest battle I ever faced,” Erika whispered. “I was so, so wrong.”

Elsa smiled at her. “Well, that was what started this,” she remarked. “I’d say you were so, so right.” 

The courtyard was, again, packed with people. This time, though, instead of a celebratory crowd, it was an army, ready for war. Most carried farm tools, others hunting bows or spears. Lieutenant Mattias and his group had bright swords slung at their side, and as Erika stepped out of the palace, she saw Hunter had one, as well. She crossed to him. “You’re fighting with us?”

“Of course,” he answered. “I didn’t spend an hour sparring with you yesterday for nothing.”

There was no grand speech, no reminder of what they were fighting for. They all knew. This would be the fight of their lives. 

The castle gates opened, and Arendelle poured out, surging down to the frozen fjord. The black and white ice had held firm and solid, stopping the ships from entering. 

Elsa and Erika went to the bank. Erika stared at it, remembering when she had frozen this water underneath her feet as she fled Auradon. 

“Are you ready?” Elsa called out, her voice hard as the ice itself.

Arendelle answered in a roar, Erika shouting right along with them. 

Like they had so long ago, before Erika was even born, Arendelle’s people stepped out onto Elsa’s ice, an army skating along.

The skates had been, surprisingly, a joint idea between Hunter and Kristoff. They had had a long talk, which Erika had guessed consisted primarily of Kristoff warning Hunter what would happen if he turned out to be like his father. Apparently, she had guessed wrong. Kristoff had accepted her friend, and the two of them had hatched a battle plan so genius Erika was half jealous she hadn’t thought of it herself.

Auradon’s people liked to skate. There were multiple parties at the palace every year, where Elsa and Erika froze the courtyard and the people skated. Almost no one walked in the winter- they took advantage of the ice that covered everything, gliding along on skates. It was such a tradition that it was almost unheard of for a baby not to receive ice skates their second winter. 

Erika had never heard of ice skates being used for war, which meant that Auradon probably hadn’t, either. Which gave them another advantage. 

They moved fast, nearly flying over the ice. Erika loved ice skating, but it was hard to enjoy it when she knew they were heading towards a battle. 

The first ship appeared on the horizon after about half an hour. It took another fifteen minutes before Elsa held up a hand, and the crowd of people sailed to a stop. Erika stared at the army that faced them.

It was smaller than she had expected, but still four or five times bigger than their own.  _ This is not going to be easy, is it? _

_ Magisk  _ had been wrapped around her arms since she had first opened her eyes, but now it pressed itself against her fingertips. It didn’t speak in its own way, but she knew from the feel of it that it would explode from her hands at a moment’s notice.

Beside her, Anna mumbled a curse under her breath. “The creature showed up, naturally,” she muttered. 

Erika looked back up and sighed. Sure enough, the unmistakable shape of Beast was at the forefront of Auradon’s army. She guessed that the one at his side was Ben, but who was the other…

“Mama!” she hissed. “It’s Mal!”

Elsa’s jaw tightened. She didn’t speak, but Erika knew Mal was the only possible source of magic Auradon had on hand. With her in the battle, things could get bad quickly.

Again, there was no speech, no rallying words. Arendelle’s army simply stood and waited for Auradon to make the first move. They were fighting to defend their kingdom, so they would defend and not attack. 

It didn’t take long. Erika saw the glint of steel as Beast drew his sword, and then Auradon’s army was surging towards them. 

She and her mother exchanged a glance, and then focused on the oncoming army. They had a plan, but it was going to be risky.

When the clash came, it was earsplitting. Arendelle’s army charged forward at the last second, colliding with Auradon like a wave against the shore. Erika lost sight of Beast, Ben, and Mal, hurtling into a knot of Auradon soldiers.  _ Magisk  _ leaped to her command, knocking two of them back with spikes of ice. Erika whirled, readied icicle darts, and shot, all in the space of a second. She had thought she would scramble to keep up with the lightning pace of the fight, but her body seemed to slow the action down and speed her reflexes up. Her mind was clear as ice, and she fought as hard as she could.

The numbers, true, were on Auradon’s side. But the ice was slick and wet, and the Auradon soldiers were falling as much from the slippery surface as from their opponents. The Arendelle citizens, however, glided past them, dealing damage and then flying away before the soldiers could strike back. They weren’t winning, not yet, but they were holding their own. Even Hunter, not as accustomed to ice skating as the rest of them, was doing well. 

She heard Beast’s furious roar and saw, through the haze of battle, the former king, fully a beast now, charge for her mother. Elsa met him with her ice sword fixed on her left arm, and the steel of his own weapon clanged like a bell as it met hers. Erika nearly missed a kick from a soldier as she watched. Never had she seen her mother fight like this- the hatred on Elsa’s face was something she had never even dreamed possible.

She turned her focus back to the fight just in time to dodge a stream of bright green fire. She gasped at the heat, straightening up and glaring at the figure opposite her.

Mal’s hands blazed with flames. “This time you can’t lock me in my room,” she called out.

“You’re in my kingdom now,” Erika shot back. “I won’t play so nice this time.”

“Nice?” Mal’s laugh somehow managed to be incredulous and scornful at the same time. “That was you playing  _ nice _ ? That was pure evil, Erika! Your own magic knows it- it’s black as my mother’s heart!”

“No,” Erika answered. “It’s as black as mine.” 

She wasted no further words, throwing out first one arm and then the other, sending icicles speeding towards Mal.  _ Black is not evil. Black is dark, but it’s the darkness I need to protect my people. Black is hate, but in order to hate something, you have to love something else.  _ It all ran through her mind in blurred thoughts. Mal used fire against her, but Erika forced her back. She shielded herself with ice, fired snowballs hardened to rocks, and shot icicle after icicle at Mal. 

_ Magisk  _ was gleeful and vengeful and hateful, streaming from Erika in waves, and no matter how much she used, there was always more. Auradon’s magic had sapped her strength- her own made her stronger. She almost didn’t see the rest of what was happening around her.

But she heard it. 

Quiet, sharp noises like something tapping on glass. She knew what it was, and she grinned. 

Cracks were beginning to appear in the ice. It was too thick to break easily, but one sudden trigger could send everyone crashing into the deep, icy water beneath. As if on cue, Arendelle began to fall back, away from the fjord’s middle and back to where it was safer, on the edge. The soldiers pursued them, unknowingly stepping closer and closer to the weakest part of the frozen layer.

Erika thrust out a hand, and Mal cried out as she was blown back by a small blizzard, coming down hard on the unforgiving ice. Erika didn’t waste time looking to see if she was all right. She whirled back to the fight. 

An earsplitting roar nearly sent her to her knees, and she heard the telltale splintering of the ice. It was weakening. 

But the roar hadn’t been one of anger.

Elsa stood with her hand outstretched, her eyes flashing. Frost coated her palm, and her face was lined with anger. 

Beast faced her, but his face was not one of rage. He stared at Elsa, horror and- was that fear?- in his expression. One paw clutched his chest. 

A plate of ice spiraled out from beneath it. 

Elsa lowered her hand, venom dripping from her voice. “There, Beast!” she shouted. “I knew your heart was hard when you forced me to surrender my daughter as a hostage. Now it will truly become so.”

Erika gasped.  _ She froze Beast’s heart. _

The next cry came from Ben, charging in with a mixture of shock, sadness and anger in his eyes. He tossed one look at Erika, and his message was clear.  _ Why?  _

She turned away.  _ Beast tried to take away magic. Magic said no.  _

Hunter was still fighting, two soldiers facing him. As she watched, he planted his boot into one’s chest and brought his sword around on the other’s arm. The two fell, and as his boot came back down, it landed hard against the frozen fjord. 

Such a simple thing, and yet it launched it all. The ice shattered, dumping soldiers into the black, freezing water. Cries and shouts split the air. 

Erika had only time for one thought of victory before she realized that the ice where Hunter stood would be the next to go. 

“Hunter!” she screamed. “The ice!” 

She stomped her foot, frost streaking from it to firm up the ice beneath Hunter’s feet. She had only a split second to register the loud cracking noise before the ice under her feet buckled, sending Erika plummeting into the fjord. 


	24. Against Flames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa take more steps to protect Auradon, and Erika receives devastating news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, technically, late- but I did do it deliberately. I didn’t want y’all to have to wait a full day plus extra to find out what happens in the VERY LAST CHAPTER!!!! WOOHOO! Tomorrow is gonna end this book off, guys!! 
> 
> Sorry in advance about the cliffhanger- I just can’t stop doing those now.

It wasn’t the cold that snapped Erika’s breath in half. It was the shock of suddenly falling into water. The fjord was slow, with no current, but the sheer force of her fall drove her back under the ice. She panicked a moment before her thoughts calmed down, and she reached up, placing her hands flat under the ice.

It melted as she commanded it, opening a hole. But she was driven under again, and the rest of the air forced itself from her lungs.

She couldn’t have explained it afterwards. It felt like something struck her back, shoving her up and out of the water and leaving her gasping on the ice. She turned almost on instinct, staring at the dark hole in the fjord.  _ What was that?  _

_ Magisk  _ rushed over her, checking her over and making sure she was all right. She coughed, spitting a little fjord out, and reassured it that she was fine. Then she stood- slowly- and surveyed the battlefield.

It was chaos. There was no other word that fit. Soldiers were floundering in the water, chunks of ice breaking off and widening the hole. Beast was on one knee, now, clutching his chest with a grimace, and Ben was by his side, Mal at his shoulder. It looked as if they were trying to help him stand.

Erika started across the ice, knowing that the fjord would soon be a pitfall of water and ice. The rest of Arendelle’s army seemed to have had the same idea. 

Elsa’s voice called out in their own language above the shouting and cracking. “To the shore! Go!” 

Erika was only too glad to obey, beyond relieved that she hadn’t worn a dress, as she pushed herself across the ice. It was cracking still, lacework and lattice that was both pretty and dangerous. The skates took them flying away from the danger, leaving Auradon flailing in the water. Erika pitied them. It hadn’t been their choice to go after them- they were just following orders. Still, she felt no guilt.  _ This is on Beast’s head _ , she thought.  _ He’s the one with those people’s lives on their hands.  _

  
  
She didn’t know what she felt for Beast. She hadn’t been expecting her mother to freeze his heart. She wondered if Ben or Mal knew how to break the spell.  _ Belle could do it, probably. True love and all that.  _

The shore finally came into view. They had been fighting on the part of the fjord that connected to the sea- now they were back on the solid section of the ice. “Mama!” Erika called. “Do we melt it?”

Elsa slowed down so Erika could catch up. “No,” she answered. “There’s no need. I think we won- they have to save their king’s father. We’ve pushed Ben into a choice now- his father or us. And we know which one he’ll choose.” She smiled. “I think, Erika, that we’ve won the day.” 

“About Beast...did you always intend to freeze his heart?”

“No,” Elsa replied, shaking her head. She took Erika’s hand. “I didn’t even want to hurt him- my plan was to encase him in ice so he couldn’t fight. But he said something I couldn’t ignore.” Her face turned angry, angry and sad. “Ben still doesn’t know the full truth of what the Isle would do to us. I tried to tell him, but I don’t think he understood.” Elsa’s mouth thinned, and her eyes narrowed. “Beast, however, knows exactly what it will do.”

“ _ What?”  _ Erika breathed. 

“He knows the Isle will kill us, Erika,” Elsa said, “and he taunted me with it. It’s not me he’s after- it’s you. You’re the fire starter, for lack of a better term. He told me- plain and simple, although he made sure I was the only one close enough to hear- that he always intended for you to die on the Isle. Not me, not always. But you, yes.” She shook her head. “That is why I called him hard-hearted, and why I froze his heart.”

Erika sighed. She had almost expected that. Beast had always been more passionate and hotheaded than his son. Ben was at least willing to listen to their side of the story, give them a fair chance. If Beast made up his mind that they were guilty, they were guilty, and nothing could be change it.

Erika suddenly thought of something. She frowned and turned to Elsa again. “I’m a little confused.  _ How  _ does Beast know that? He never asked us, and I don’t know of any other elemental magic users, except for maybe Moana, and Rapunzel might have been one when she had her sun drop flower magic, and that black rock magic. But even then, how would Beast know the Isle kills magic users?” 

Elsa was silent for a long moment. “He must have seen it before. One of the villains, perhaps?”

Erika was fairly sure there hadn’t been any elemental villains, but she could tell from the set of Elsa’s shoulders that her mother didn’t want to talk about it. She decided to drop the subject. 

“Should we bring the rest of the people back from the Valley of the Living Rock?” she asked instead, as they stepped from the frozen fjord onto the banks of Arendelle. 

Elsa shook her head. “Not quite yet. There’s still a danger- Ben could take Beast back to Auradon and send soldiers to attack us while we’re vulnerable.” She grinned suddenly, the veins in her hands suddenly filling with blue magic. “I have an idea on how to prevent  _ that. _ ”

She whirled to the fjord, closing her eyes and raising her hands. Erika watched in awe as the sky turned from its usual pale blue to white, and snowflakes began drifting down from the clouds. Elsa didn’t open her eyes, instead pulling the snow towards her and forming it into a vague shape. Erika smiled wide as the shape became more pronounced, then sculpted, then detailed. Finally, a snow monster who looked like Marshmallow’s bigger, spikier cousin appeared in front of them. Elsa beamed. “Frost him,” she said to Erika, “and I’ll make more.”

They stayed on the shore of the fjord for well over an hour, Elsa crafting snow monsters and Erika blowing her permafrost over them to keep them from ever melting. True to form, Elsa didn’t make perfect, uniform soldiers- she let her magic tell her what each one should,  _ wanted  _ to look like, and she followed it. Some had spikes, others had claws, fangs, icy armor, and some were simply snow. Each one had its own personality, and Erika had never been happier to see the way her mother’s magic made them come to life.

They stopped only when they had an army of perhaps thirty snow monsters, each unique and each ready to fight. Elsa brought her hands together and then stretched her arms wide. “Go, guardians,” she said. “Watch over Arendelle. Protect them.”

The snow monsters ambled off, moving slowly, almost lazily, as if they were trying to reassure their creator that there was no rush, no worry, no reason to fear. The first one Elsa had made paused before heading away, lowering his head and letting her place a hand on it. Then he wandered off after his brothers.

“Why didn’t we make a snowman army earlier?” Erika asked as they wandered back to the castle.

“Takes a lot of magic,” Elsa answered. “I was afraid Fairy Godmother or Mal would sense it. They probably did- Mal, anyway. Fairy Godmother has no magic without her wand.”

Erika stopped short. She hadn’t even considered that. She laughed, a harsh, gleeful sound. “Well, now she’s seeing how she likes it!” 

Elsa laughed, too. “I doubt it’ll make much of a difference- she won’t feel anything physically besides an emptiness, whereas you felt it  _ all  _ physically. But maybe this will sway her to our side, at least a little.”

“And then you can invite her here to join the magic wielders,” Erika joked. 

Elsa rolled her eyes. “If Hercules didn’t kill her, Moana and Maui would. I saw them sparring when I brought the wand there- Maui was changing forms every half second, and Moana can use a staff like I’ve never seen. She says it’s because she’s well practiced with an oar. That and her connection to magic- those two are capable. Very capable. Hercules, too- he’s as strong as a bear.”

“Merlin and Genie?” Erika asked.

“Genie’s more skilled with magic than physical fighting,” Elsa answered. “And Merlin I brought in for experience. He knows more about magic than anyone else I could think of.” She sighed. “I wish we’d found a way to lock down the wand for us, though. I hate to keep it here, I really do- it makes us a target. And I would hate to have to destroy it. But if I have to, I have to.” They went through the little door at the side of the palace, the one leading directly from the fjord. Elsa swung the door open, and Erika followed her inside.

The palace was still as bustling as ever. One room had been set aside to use for the wounded, which weren’t as many as they had been expecting, thankfully. They really had won the day- the Auradon soldiers had been fighting in unfamiliar territory, and only because someone told them to. Arendelle had been fighting in their home, and  _ for  _ their home. They had more to lose, so they had fought harder to keep it.

_ We’ll have to refreeze that part of the fjord,  _ Erika mused to  _ magisk  _ as she wandered the lower floor of the castle.  _ And we’ll need to wait for the snow guardians to come back in order to know whether they’ve all left, or whether Ben just took Beast back to Auradon. We may have won today, but it isn’t over yet. _

_ Magisk  _ thrummed with the thrill of battle, still nearly vibrating with the rush.  _ I protected you,  _ it said gleefully.  _ You will be safe now. Now I know I can protect you, even against soldiers.  _

Erika laughed a little.  _ Confident, aren’t you? _

She thought  _ magisk  _ purred, almost catlike, and felt it wrap around her shoulders and neck. One icy tendril reached up to the spots under her eyes, and she relaxed almost immediately as the cold spread to her whole face.

_ Do you know what happened when I fell in the fjord, magisk? It was like the water...it was like the fjord spit me out.  _

_ Magisk  _ hummed.  _ Perhaps one of your magic-wielders slipped from the ice palace to help? _

_ Moana?  _ Erika thought back.  _ It’s possible. I’ll have to ask her if she did the next time we go to see them.  _ She smiled, the corner of her lips twitching up.  _ I’ll also have to ask Marshmallow if he has room for thirty-odd really, really big cousins up there. What with the snowgies and the rebels and all.  _

_ You know he’ll say yes,  _ her  _ magisk  _ replied.

_ I know. Maybe Mama will let me make room for them with my new ice- I want to see how the black looks with the other colors.  _ Her thoughts turned to her fight with Mal. She’d openly challenged the other girl before, but that was before she knew who she really was in her heart. Fighting Mal, even with the flames Mal kept shooting at her, had been almost easy.  _ I think maybe I underestimated myself. I think I might have more power than I realize.  _ She let a few pitch black snowflakes drift from her hands as she walked, watching them swirl in the air and then drift to the floor. It was pretty. Unusual. She liked it, as much as she liked seeing her mother’s pure white ice and snow.  _ But no frost. I can make the frost, but I’ve never seen Mama do it. Then again, Mama makes big snow creatures, too, and I could hardly manage making Sindri. I wonder if magic makes us unique, like Mama made the snow guardians. I wonder… _

But she had no more time to wonder. Anna came charging down the hall, her red braids flying. “Erika!” she yelled wildly. “Erika!”

“ _ Tante!  _ What is it? What’s wrong?” Erika gasped.

“It’s the snow things,” Anna panted. “One just came back- hurt. Not too badly, but enough to put him out of commission for awhile. He had a message.” She laid a hand on Erika’s shoulder, her eyes filled with sadness. “It’s from Auradon, sweetheart.”

Erika frowned. Anna wasn’t really one for pet names. Something had to be very wrong. “What is it? Are they not leaving?”

“No,” Anna answered softly. “They aren’t leaving. Mal is taking Beast back. Ben is staying to get what they came for.” She sighed. “And apparently they’ll stop at nothing to get you.”

“What did they do?” Erika asked,  _ magisk  _ bubbling up to her fingers. “ _ Tante _ , tell me, please. What did Auradon do?”

Anna flicked her braids behind her back. “Erika, my little niece...they have Hunter.”


	25. Against Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erika and Elsa’s fight against Auradon comes to a stormy clash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I honestly forgot that I hadn’t posted it...and then I checked and I was like “oh, no wonder it’s been so quiet.” 
> 
> This is the last chapter, y’all! It has been an absolute blast writing this and seeing everyone’s reactions. We’ve definitely had some bumps in the road, but look, we made it through two full books! I’m completely serious when I say that I could not have done this without you guys. Anyone who commented, left kudos, or even just read this thing- you’ve helped this story along, and you’ve helped me write it. Thank you so, so much!
> 
> I’ll be back sometime around Christmas with the first chapter of Erika’s third and final adventure, Through Frozen Fire! But I’ll still be answering as many comments as I get!

Erika stared at her aunt, stunned into silence. “ _ How?”  _ she finally managed to say. “He was right behind me, I got him away from the ice, he...he has to be somewhere!”

Anna wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “It was chaos out there when the ice started breaking,” she answered gently. “In the confusion, apparently Mal got to him, knocked him out, and spirited him away before coming back to help Ben tend to Beast. She’s a quick one,” she added scornfully. “And apparently Hans was the one who suggested it. He saw how you and his son got close and whispered in Beast’s ear to use that against us.” 

Erika slumped against the wall. “They want to trade Hunter for me, don’t they?”

Anna nodded grimly. “That’s their plan.”

Erika leaned her head back and closed her eyes on tears.  _ Just when I thought we had won. They always have to come around and deal out another blow. Why do they always have to win? Why can’t I just win once? _

“Sweetheart,” Anna’s gentle voice said. Erika looked up and then down to find she had started a little snowstorm on the ground, the tiniest possible cloud sending snowflakes drifting to the floor. She sighed, twisted her hand, and dissipated it into little black specks. 

Sindri chirrupped and pressed the top of his head against the side of Erika’s neck. She plucked him from her shoulder and held him close, and if a few tears fell into his short, icy fur, he didn’t protest it. His wings flickered yellow and purple for fear and sadness. 

“Where’s the guardian now?” Erika asked.

“In the sitting room,” Anna answered.

Erika stood up and brushed by her aunt, heading directly there. She found her mother in the room, kneeling by the guardian and adding snow to an awful, curved chunk taken out of the creature’s chest. 

“Is he going to be all right?” Erika asked. 

Elsa nodded. “He should be. He can’t fight for awhile, but he’ll be okay.”

Erika sighed and dropped heavily to the floor beside her mother. “Did you read the message?”

“I did,” Elsa replied. “Mal wrote it- Beast is most likely indisposed, and Ben would be less...direct.” She finished with the snow guardian, patting him on the shoulder and standing up. 

“What are we going to do, Mama?” Erika breathed, picking up Sindri and rubbing behind the little bear’s ears. “They’re going to send Hunter back to the Isle if I don’t...if I don’t turn myself in. But I can’t do that. What do we  _ do _ ?”

“I know a lot of people would tell you to let Hunter go,” Elsa answered, taking her daughter’s hand in her own. “But I know what I would do in your situation, and it wouldn’t be that. Auradon’s obviously going to be waiting for us, since they’ll expect us to try to rescue Hunter. The only advantage we have is that they won’t be expecting the snow guardians. We’ll send them in first, create a little bit of chaos, and then charge in ourselves. Our only real problem is Mal- her magic will be a challenge. I could probably handle her while you find Hunter.” 

Erika nodded. “I- I was afraid you’d tell me to forget about him.”

“Why would I do that?” Elsa asked, drawing her onto her lap and stroking her hair. “I saw how close you two got on the ride back to Auradon. He helped us out of their clutches. Now it’s our turn.”

* * *

They discussed what they were going to do for a while after that. The magic users were still not going to be called in unless things went horribly wrong. Erika had Sindri fly out to find the Auradon ships, and he came back with a pine branch in his little claws, which she took to mean that they had camped on the shore instead of staying in their ice-locked ships. She and her mother planned a stealth mission, waiting until only an hour before dusk to start out. They would go to the ships, take out as many soldiers as necessary, then Elsa would handle Mal while Erika found Hunter and got him out. Then they’d retreat to the castle just as fast as they possibly could.

It was a simple enough plan, but Erika’s stomach twisted itself into knots that even  _ magisk’s  _ reassurances couldn’t undo. 

They left as soon as the edge of the sun touched the ground, knowing that on foot, it would take a while to get to where Auradon’s camp would be set up. Their plan was to act while it was still mostly light, and then escape while darkness fell, concealing them and hopefully confusing Auradon at the same time. Confusion had worked on the fjord, and they were hoping the same tactic would help them now.

No one said much on the way there. Erika was too angry and scared and sad to speak- her hands kept clenching into fists. She was savagely glad her mother would be the one dealing with Mal- she didn’t know if she’d be able to control herself enough to not fatally injure the other girl, and she knew hurting Mal would bring Ben’s wrath down on them even quicker than hurting Beast had. The boy was nothing if not devoted to his girlfriend.

She thought about Beast, as she, her mother, and half the snow guardians slipped through the forest. She didn’t want Ben to lose his father, but with everything Beast had done, she had no pity for him. 

She squeezed her fists again, rubbing her knuckles up and down the sequined sleeve of her hoodie. She had pulled the hood up this time, knowing her nearly-white hair would be too visible in the darkness as they escaped. The last thing any of them wanted was for Auradon to be able to chase them down as they fled. 

_ Why are we always the ones running? _ Erika thought in frustration.  _ Everything comes so easy for Auradon- they have the power to do whatever they want. Even our kingdom defying them didn’t put a stop to that. Now they’re just going to win again. I just want to have a chance to win.  _

_ Patience, magisk  _ told her, rushing through her legs and arms in a chilling loop.  _ Your time will come. _

_ But when?  _ Erika asked it.  _ When? I’m just tired of waiting for my turn.  _

Ahead of her, Elsa turned, gesturing urgently forward. Erika slipped to her mother’s side, her conversation with her magic forgotten as she strained to see through the nodding pine branches. 

Auradon had set up camp, that was for sure. She guessed that the majority of the five shiploads of soldiers would be staying aboard those ships, but there were still plenty of them in the tents that spread out in a clearing just ahead. She bit her lip, wondering which one Hunter was in.  _ The biggest one will be for Beast, probably. Which one would they keep a prisoner in?  _

They had discussed having Erika pretend to turn herself in, but they had ultimately rejected that idea- it was too dangerous and too risky. She wished now that they hadn’t- it would have been a lot easier to get Hunter out safely and then make her own escape, rather than searching every tent for him. But she also knew that Auradon would never have let her escape.

“No soldiers,” she whispered to her mother. “No guards. There should be guards.” 

“It’s a trap, Erika,” Elsa replied grimly. “Our only chance is to try to spring it and make off with the bait, if we can.” She turned to the snow guardians and motioned for them to get ready. “As soon as you get Hunter,  _ run.  _ Get into the trees, lose whoever’s chasing you, and then just go straight for Arendelle as fast as you can. If we can go together, good, if we can’t, just get back to the castle.” She suddenly gripped Erika’s shoulders tightly. “We are not losing this tonight. I will  _ not  _ lose you, Erika. I don’t care  _ what  _ we have to do, I am not going to let them take you.” She let go of Erika’s shoulders and gestured toward the camp. “Go. Get Hunter.”

Erika nodded once and started down the hill at a run, staying low and hopefully less visible. Her heart drummed against her rib cage. It took only a short time before she was shadowing the edge of the rows of tents Auradon had pitched in the snowy forest. If she looked out to the sea, she could still make out the ships. 

She skirted around the smaller tents, ducking into the middle of the camp.  _ They’ll have Beast somewhere big, probably. And they’ll have Hunter somewhere in the center where it’s harder to escape.  _

She crouched low, frowning as she eyed a row of tents pitched in the middle. They were larger than the others, and the one in the center was the biggest she’d seen so far. The worst thing she could do was run into Beast, so she decided to avoid that one.  _ Just three on either side to check. Please, Hunter, please be there. _

She felt almost like a ghost as she darted across the snow-covered path between the tents and behind the first tent. She didn’t dare look through the main opening, just in case. Instead, she pried up the edge of one of the sides and looked underneath. 

It seemed like a storage tent. Boxes and crates nearly filled it. Erika quickly dismissed the possibility of Hunter being in there, and moved on to the next one.

_ Someone lives in here. Possibly Ben or Mal. But...where are they?  _ She was getting more uneasy by the minute. The camp seemed deserted, yet there were lights in some of the tents.  _ Just no people. What is going on?  _

She went to the third tent and found what looked like a first aid setup.  _ So this is where their medical supplies are. Which just increases the chances that Beast is in the next one.  _ Erika was very careful to slip past the biggest and fourth tent. 

When she reached the fifth one, she gasped and dropped the side of the tent, quickly forming an icicle and slashing the side open. She pushed through into the tent and knelt by Hunter’s side.  _ Please be just sleeping. Please don’t be unconscious. _

Hunter’s eyes shot open, and he sat up and grabbed her wrist. “Easy!” she hissed. “It’s me!”

Hunter’s jaw dropped. “Erika?” he whispered. “What are you- how did you-“ he looked around frantically. “No, no, you have to get out of here!”

“It’s a trap, I know,” Erika answered. She pulled him up and through the gap she had made. “They didn’t have you under guard or anything?” she asked as they fled through the lines of tents and reached the trees. 

“We didn’t need to,” a familiar voice said. Erika blinked as light suddenly flooded the lines. Mal and at least thirty Auradon soldiers stepped out from the pines. “See, we were expecting exactly this to happen.”

Erika flashed a look at Hunter and charged, spraying ice everywhere and shoving right through the lines. “We have to get to the castle!” she shouted back to her friend, pulling him along. “Keep running!”

More ice shot at the soldiers- but not from Erika’s hands. She skidded to a stop and joined her mother, sending icicles flying. 

“Oh, give it up, you two,” Mal said, laughing. She formed a fireball in her hand and launched it. “You may have had the advantage on the ice, but this isn’t ice.” 

Erika gasped as the trees burst into flame. She dropped Hunter’s arm and dove for her mother, knocking her out of the way of a burning branch.

Mal was still hurling fireballs, and the Arendelle forest had turned into a wildfire. The snow should have made the pines more resistant to the flames, but Mal’s magic made them as dry and brittle as kindling. It was hotter than Erika had ever known it could be. She could hardly see where she was going already. She didn’t know where Hunter and Elsa were.  _ Magisk  _ was trying frantically to help her, but it felt as if the ice in her blood was melting. 

A fireball brushed by her head, missing her only by an inch. A second followed. Erika gasped and stumbled forward, searing heat blistering her back. She desperately shot magic at what her dazed mind decided was the greatest source of the heat, but it didn’t seem to help.

_ I can’t breathe. It’s too hot, I can’t breathe. Help me, I can’t-  _

Her thoughts ran together in a terrified mess, and she dimly realized that she had landed on her hands and knees on the forest floor. She looked through the smoke, blinking tears from her eyes, and saw Elsa on the ground, struggling to get up. Erika tried to go to her, but there was too much heat. 

_ Burning. Everything burns, everything’s burning. I can’t burn. I can’t. _ Magisk _ , where are you? _

Erika’s body refused to obey her, and she crumpled to the ground, staring up at the sky. The smoke obscured most of the clouds. A tiny bit of snow, however, made its way through, landing gently on the tip of Erika’s nose. She blinked, frowning, and looked up again.

The last thing she saw before her eyes closed was her mother’s snowflake, shooting up into the air like a signal fire. 


End file.
